The Tale of the Wild Roundup
by BedazzleDewdrops
Summary: In an old western town, panic and chaos erupts when an evil band of ghostly zarthlus and esprits creep in to take over the town. Now it is up to eleven very different individuals to team up and unite the town in order to defeat this new evil. But is it even possible to get along? Find out in this epic tale told by no other than Sensei Wu with occasional commentary from the ninja.
1. The Barn and the Bandit

Chapter 1: The Barn and the Bandit

 **And so it begins! XD This is bound to be one interesting story! Before we get to it, we want to thank you all for the reviews on the Let it Go rewrites! We hope to post new songs maybe every now and then depending on time. Speaking of posting time, I was suddenly surprised with the news that I would be going on a road trip for the next two weeks, so I won't be able to do any posting then. But when I'm back I'll try to post two chapters to make up for it. ;) Sorry about the delay! And after just starting a story too! I have some packin' to do so this is a short first chapter, but I hope it'll give you a taste of what's coming next! Anyways, enough of the chit-chat; there's a story to start! XD**

* * *

Blowing on his steaming tea, Sensei Wu looked out the window. The sun was just starting to set, golden light streaming in through the kitchen window and filling the room with an orange light. He reached down to grab a spoon and put in a little more sugar—

 _Crash!_

In a nearby room, muffled arguing could be heard most clearly over the gentle evening breeze. Wu sighed, put down the spoon, and proceeded to the living room.

"Bruh, why weren't you looking where you were swinging that thing?!"

"I didn't remember that vase bein' there a few hours ago, y'all!"

"It doesn't matter. I think we can all agree that Kai's sword skills are getting rusty."

"Kinda like you and your nunchucks, Garbage."

"Hey, not true!"

"Wait, guys, who is on dinner duty?"

"Ohhh…I knew I was forgetting something!"

"Lloyd! This is the third time in a row!"

"Everyone chill!"

"I'm physically incapable of becoming overheated."

"Not you, Zane; you're fine. But everyone else needs to!"

"What was I doing?! I was just sitting here the whole time!"

"Well, now you're arguing!"

"Why are you yelling?!"

"YOU'RE YELLING!"

"WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING?!"

"SILENCE, YOUNG SAUSAGES!"

The ninja stopped and looked over at Wu, who stood in the doorway taking in the scene. A nearby table was covered in clay shards where a vase once was, with Kai standing by it, practice sword in hand. Jay, Tia, Ivy, Skylor, and Cole were standing up, looking like they had been the ones screaming at each other, while Carol, Mac, Zane, Nya, and Lloyd sat on the couches with the "I didn't do anything!" look all over their faces.

Sensei Wu sighed, rubbing his ears. "That's better. Well, I have decided, that since we have just defeated another enemy, it will be quiet in Ninjago for a moment. Well, besides what goes on here." He gave them all a stern look. "You could use a lesson in wisdom. So, I am going to tell you a story."

"Like, a bed time story?" asked Lloyd, looking confused.

"No. This one is told while the sun's still up and is too long for little kids," he answered. "Anyways, now I will start!

The ninja looked around at each other with equally skeptical looks. But they all settled down on the couches or the floor, feeling relieved that this time they would get off easy with a simple boring story.

"It began in 1875, with Kyle Smithereens. He owned a horse farm which he inherited from his parents who were now dead. Although he had a large farm and many horses, he was poor. This story, will now begin with Kyle working on his farm when a knock came from his door..."

* * *

"Smithereens! Open up!" said a commanding voice at the rough farmhouse's door.

"I'm a-comin'!" Kyle yelled back. He threw down the cloth he was using to polish his pitchfork and went over to the door. He opened the door to find a cleaned up looking young man with blonde hair and green eyes. He was wearing an expensive looking outfit including a deep green frock coat complete with the shiniest boots Kyle had ever seen. Even though it had been years since he saw another man from outside the farm district, he would recognize this one anywhere—Lawrence Green, the mayor's son.

"What do y'all want?" Kyle asked, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. He never liked the mayor with his outrageous taxes, and found his son even more annoying when it came to money.

"It's time to pay the bills." Lawrence replied, holding up a paper filled with numbers and red circles. Kyle glanced at it with disinterest.

"I don't got no money, y'all! In fact, there ain't nobody with money round these parts with all these taxes ya keep spillin' on us! So yer betta be on your way now." Kyle was about to close the door, but Lawrence stuck a shiny-booted foot in it before it could close and forced it back open.

"Then I'll just have to take this farm off your hands and make it into my factory." He smiled coldly, carefully folding up the paper.

"Y'all ain't takin' my farm!" Kyle was now standing straight upright with his hands by his side in fists. It was so hard to keep from punching the little brat.

"You have until next week to pay up," Lawrence said all businesslike. He handed Kyle the folded paper, which Kyle took with two fingers, trying to touch it as little as possible. Lawrence made a show of adjusting his hat, jumped onto his white horse, and he then rode down the country road out of sight.

 _If_ _he thinks he can just stroll down here and take my farm, he better think again!_ Kyle thought as he walked back in his farmhouse to continue polishing his favorite pitchfork.

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up!" Tia interrupted.

Sensei Wu took a deep breath. "What is so important that you must interrupt my story, young sausage?"

Tia lifted her chin. "I don't see what's so exciting about some dumb dude and his stupid bills!"

"Hey! I'm a-kinda likin' this Kyle guy!" Kai burst in. "He's got swagger!"

Tia looked like she was about to argue, but Sensei Wu cut in, clearing his throat. "The story is far from being over, my little sausage. There's a much more important lesson that comes in besides paying the bills."

Tia rolled her eyes, but let the matter drop. Wu continued with great flourish.

* * *

Kyle went around the farm, doing his daily chores. He milked the cows, fed the horses, and collected eggs from the chicken coop. While he worked, he thought about Lawrence, and how he could possible get himself out of this predicament. The milk and eggs he sold to the local rancher would never cover his numerous bills.

 _Maybe I can sell something else,_ he thought, looking around from where he stood in the horse stables. He spotted the towering stack of hay in the corner _. I do have a lot of hay..._ It's been over ten years since he went to the town's marketplace, but it was worth a try, right?

He grabbed a large wheelbarrow, pounded in some hay, and began to wheel it away, towards the marketplace. _Here goes nothin'..._

* * *

Tessa Taylor peeked around from the corner of the alleyway where she was hidden. The marketplace was bustling with shoppers and sellers. She couldn't help but notice that all the sellers were from the lower class, wearing the cheap, tattered clothes that distinguished them, while the shoppers were mostly from the upper class. They had on their ridiculous-looking dresses with the bustle skirts, or the pointless frock coats. How they could stand wearing that junk, Tessa had no idea. She always preferred her grey buckskin pants, faded purple cotton shirt, and fur vest. And of course, her bandana and wide brimmed hat. She can't have anyone recognizing her, after all.

She came out of her hiding place and walked down the busy street, slipping her hand into people's pockets and purses and taking a good portion of their cash. By the time she reached the end of the street, she had filled her own pockets with jingling change. _Ha, ha! Take that, Jason Garbage-Grant! And I'm just getting started!_

You would think that if you spent twelve years stuck together in the same orphanage, ended up with the same occupation, and lived in the same bandit camp, you would be pretty good friends, right? Wrong! Tessa and Jason had hated each other from the moment they first met. Now they constantly compete for who can steal the most merchandise. Yesterday, he had beat her by one coin. One coin! She was determined to win today, no matter what.

Tessa scanned the row of booths, and her eyes settled on a jewelry stand. _Bull's eye._

* * *

 **And there is where I need to cut it. Hope you enjoyed! I think you can tell where the characters are coming from in Wu's story…XD Till whenever I post next, have an amazing week(s)! :)**


	2. Beware the Pans

Chapter 2: Beware the Pans

 **So far, this summer is cccrraaaaaa-zzzzaaaayyyyy! I didn't even think it would be so hectic! Anyways, I'm back! (obviously) You may be wondering, well Resi, how was your two-week road trip? Actually, you probably weren't wondering at all, but I'll tell you anyways! XD It was…*drumroll*…Interesting. From a flat tire, to almost seeing a sleeping truck driver crash and die to cowgirls herding cattle off the road to breathing in bugs by the dozen, it was…interesting. I feel like I use "interesting" a lot when I don't want to say "good" or "fine" so I won't sound boring. Like when people ask me how school's going, I always say, "It's…interesting." Anyways, I'm rambling! Just excited to be posting again! XD**

 **PixalatedNinjas: Yas, Sensei Wu sure loves sausages! But his obsessions are always changing; maybe it'll be bacon next. XD**

 **Skales Jnr: I'm sorry if this seems like a copy. I assure you we never saw MNC's fanfiction and don't mean to sound like we stole it in any way; we just came up with this randomly to write for fun. I'm sure their version is amazing! Meanwhile, I hope that as this story continues it may be quite a different version indeed…XD**

* * *

Just off the main road, there sat a townhouse. It was just like any other townhouse in that area, with the paint starting to peel and wooden porch steps creaking in protest whenever someone set foot upon it. Which in fact, seemed to rarely happen. After all, the resistance couldn't blow their cover by entering through the front door. That's what the underground tunnels were for.

The town's resistance was determined to set things straight in the town. From unfair taxing, to the rampant crime, to the failing economy, they were determined to get a mayor who would be less of a dictator and more of a representative. Their tactics of change started out as peaceful rallies, but when those didn't work, well, drastic times call for drastic measures! And that's what the head leaders of the resistance, Cam Smithereens and Stephanie Stormer were discussing in the small meeting room.

"We have 'bout thirty-five other people here," started Cam, "I think we need to have fifty before we attack, y'all."

"Well, some of them are in the prison..." Stephanie explained.

"Y'all's a genius! We can get other people from the prison to a-help us!"

Stephanie smiled, but it faded as she said, "Well, how do we break out that many people without being caught?"

"Oh! We can a-kidnap the mayor's daughter so everyone will be lookin' for her while we make a move!"

Stephanie paused for a moment, then gave Cam a weird look. "You really think we should go that far?"

Cam shrugged. "You have a better idea?"

Stephanie was sure she did, but was too tired to be debating plans of action. "All right. When do we do it?"

"I say we do it tomorrow afternoon so we can attack at night!"

* * *

"Sensei!" Cole interrupted, "when does the action come in? So far it's only descriptions, and debates, and—"

"Patience, my little sausage, it will come soon," Wu replied, taking a sip of his tea. "Anyways, where was I?"

* * *

Kyle Smithereens sat on a crate behind his wheelbarrow of hay, looking boredly out at the marketplace. He had been here for five hours, and no one had even given him a second glance. Evening was drawing near, and he wouldn't have had a single purchase!

Just as he was beginning to fall asleep, he heard someone suddenly stop in front of his wheelbarrow. He looked up and saw a young woman staring at him, squinting. She had on an elaborate pale blue dress with a maroon ribbon tied around her waist. Her black hair was done in a messy bun, and her light blue eyes continued to stare him up and down. She had "high class" written all over her.

Kyle quickly jumped up and tipped his hat. "Good afternoon, miss. Can I interest y'all in some hay?" he asked hopefully.

She stared at him for another minute, still squinting, and Kyle began to shift uncomfortably. "Um, it's only five dollars per bushel..."

The young woman broke in. "Is that really you, Kyle?"

Now it was Kyle's turn to stare. "Uh, yeah, and how do y'all know me?" Then he froze. The black hair, blue eyes...was that- "Natalie?!"

His younger sister smiled, but not pleasantly. "What a surprise. I didn't expect to ever see you here, brother."

Kyle gulped. The last time he had seen his sister was the year after their parents died from the plague. They had a furious argument over the farm. Natalie had wanted to sell it and use the money to start some inventing business. Kyle had refused, not wanting to give their family's home away. That day, Natalie had packed up and left, saying the farm was destined to go broke with all the trouble the town was going through. The worst part was that she was _right_. If Kyle didn't think of something soon, next week he'll lose the farm.

"Well, just what a-happened to y'all the past ten years?" Kyle said skeptically, crossing his arms.

"Oh, I started my business, no thanks to you," replied Natalie, fake smile gone. "I'm an inventor, and a wealthy one now, too."

"I couldn't tell," Kyle said sarcastically.

Natalie's eyes narrowed. "And how's the farm holding up, _brother_?"

"Fine, just fine! It's amazin'!" Kyle said, maybe a little too overenthusiastically.

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? Is that why you're selling _hay_?"

"Hey, people like my hay!"

"That's strange. I didn't see anyone buy any, and your cart thing is still full."

Kyle gritted his teeth. "It's called a _wheelbarrow_. Have ya forgotten how a farm a-works already?"

"Should I not have?" Natalie smirked. "Well, I better be going. You know, _successful_ business to run and all. Maybe I'll see you around?" She walked off, chin held high.

Kyle rolled his eyes. _That went well_.

He sat back down, and continued to scan the marketplace for potential buyers. He was gonna save his farm, one way or another!

* * *

John Jameson was teaching his students at the schoolhouse some math problems. It was a rickety old building, having only two stuffy rooms too small for all the students.

"Students, who can tell me what two plus two is?" John asked, scratching the math problem on the chalk board.

A small girl in the back row with two pigtails raised her hand. John looked at her and nodded. "Would it be twenty-two?" she guessed.

John tried to hold back the urge to facepalm. "I'm sorry, that is incorrect. You see, if you have two items and another two items and you put them together you get..." He waited for one of his students to reply.

An older boy raised his hands and said, "Four."

John inwardly sighed with relief. "Correct."

* * *

"Hold up!" Jay said, "so you're just turning this story into math class now?"

"It is only this part, my sausage." Sensei said, exasperated.

Jay gave a sigh of relief.

"Anyways."

* * *

Then, someone rang the old metal school bell. _Ding-dong!_

"Well," John said, "it looks like class is over for today. I will see you tomorrow. Keep practicing your math problems and fill out that history sheet I gave you earlier."

Some of the students waved goodbye as they all walked out of the building. Clara Green, the other teacher at that school, came out the wooden door separating the two rooms.

"How did your day go today?" she asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"The same as usual, I suppose." John replied, erasing the chalkboard. "How about yours?"

She sighed. "Teaching those kids how to read and write is like trying to teach a horse to fly at times." Then she smiled. "Always an adventure that's for sure. Sally even spelt 'checkerboard' 'keckoraboroed'. I don't know where she got that 'a' from."

John chuckled lightly. "They get pretty creative in math as well. By the way, did those new textbooks arrive yet?"

Clara opened her mouth to answer, but immediately froze. She looked behind John with a frightened look on her face.

"What is wrong?" John asked with concern. He slowly turned around to find a young man with black hair and a girl with fiery red hair both wearing the brown and sliver colors of the resistance. The man was holding a pan in one hand, and the girl stood slightly behind, one hand on her holster and the other holding a length of rope with a couple sacks.

"Oh," John said in mild surprise. "Um, can we help y—"

The man promptly smacked John on the head with the pan and he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

Clara let out a gasp and stepped away from the newcomers, but her back hit the wall behind. She was cornered. Clara looked at the man wide-eyed and saw the pan swing down right before all went black.

* * *

"Yeesh, they need better school security!" commented Skylor.

"I know, right?" agreed Ivy. "Strange dudes shouldn't just be walking into schools."

"That's not the important lesson, right?" asked Mac cautiously.

Sensei Wu took a deep breath, and looked at the ceiling. "You will find out, if you stop interrupting, young sausages." He looked over at Nya. "And if you stop checking your Twitter account."

Nya slowly put the phone down.

Wu sighed. "Now, we go to Natalie, where she was browsing the market..."

* * *

 **That chapter was a bit on the short side, but hopefully the next one isn't too long in coming. I have some posting to make up! XD Oh, and a late happy birthday to Kendra! Have an amazing one, girl! Cookies and waffles! :) (::) (::) (#) (#) And to all of you fantastic readers, have an amazing summery week!**


	3. Fluffery Kerfuffle

Chapter 3: Fluffery Kerfuffle

 **Ya know, perhaps I should pick a different day besides Saturday to post on during the summer. All those other days when I barely had anything important to do and now all this stuff comes up today and I'm once again scrambling to edit this next chunk. Thursday, maybe? Friday? Eh, we'll see! And wow, I can hear the fireworks already! God bless America! Is there a way to type confetti? Uh, .-.-.=-=.=.-=-.-=.=-.=…=-.=-=.=-=-.=-=. What am I doing? XD Better go to reviews before this author's note gets any weirder.**

 **Guest: Aw, thanks, partner! I'm sure you're a pretty awesome writer as well…XD Fosizzle!**

 **Guest (Anonymous7 I think): Sensei's stories can get pretty crazy, that's for sure! Nothing ever seems to go as planned in Ninjago, does it? XD Well, technically this isn't Ninjago I guess… it's the western version of Ninjago. :D There's certainly more to come!**

* * *

Natalie walked through the market, looking at the booths for anything worthwhile. Rickety wooden carts were pushed down the street stirring up dust. Natalie shielded her eyes as a group of shrieking children ran by. The square was filled with people, both prim and proper in little carriages and hunched figures in ratty outfits alike. She couldn't help but wonder at how people who mingled everyday could still be so divided.

Well, wasn't she one to talk! Natalie felt a pang of guilt thinking about the confrontation with her older brother. Was she a little harsh? After all, it's been ten years. He might've changed. But when they started talking, he still seemed like the same stubborn hothead he had always been. That was enough to set off Natalie's temper, and then the words just came tumbling out. If there was anything she had in common with Kyle, it was a short temper. Though, she didn't think hers was as short.

Her train of thought immediately halted when she spotted a booth filled with quality metal tools. _Now that is what I'm looking for!_ she thought with excitement.

She raced towards it, getting a concerned look from the man behind it. She knew it surprised many people that she was an inventor. After all, no one thought that a polite, proper young lady's life dream was to work with rusty metal machines. She always felt a bit of satisfaction seeing the astonished faces.

She nodded a greeting to the man, and scanned the row of tools. She picked up a hammer, checking the quality. The smooth metal and stable wooden handle said all she needed to know. She settled on a new hammer, a box of nails, a wrench, and a huge box of gears.

"How much for these items?" she asked the man kindly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Thirty dollars, miss. Are you buying this for your husband, or a friend...?"

"Good heavens, no," Natalie said with a laugh. "My name is Natalie Smithereens, the inventor. And I'm not married."

The man's face lit up in recognition. "Oh yes, I heard about you, miss. Is it true you're working on a _horseless_ carriage?" he asked eagerly, leaning forwards slightly.

Natalie smiled. "So that secret slipped out, did it? Well, yes, I am. These tools are actually for that project." She handed him a stack of money.

The man took it, and nodded. "Thanks. Well, good luck with your project, miss. If you ever require more tools, my booth is right here, Monday through Saturday."

Natalie took the box with her equipment in both hands. "Thank you." She walked away down the street, pleased with her purchase. _There's lots to be done tonight, that's for sure._

* * *

Jason Grant looked around the market for another steal. He was leaning up against an old building, partly hidden in the shade. He had already made good progress today, having stolen tons of cash, an expensive watch, and a gold bracelet. _Tessa is SO goin' down today!_

He watched in interest as he saw a pretty dark-haired young woman walking through the crowds of people, hefting a large box in her arms and slipping between the huddles of people and horses. _There's gotta be something good in that box for a rich person like her to have it,_ he thought. _That'll be just what I need to beat Tessa!_

With all the smooth stealth of a fox, Jason slipped through the crowd towards her, pick-pocketing a well-dressed older man and getting a pouch of money in reward on the way. He continued to follow the young woman though the market. Once they were a fair distance from the commotion, Jason circled around and stopped right in front of her. She immediately skid to a stop, looking at him suspiciously.

"My, my, miss," Jason said casually. "That is one large box y'all carryin'. Do ya need any assistance?" He took a step forward, resting an arm on top of the box.

The young woman looked him up and down, untrusting, then took a step back. "No, thank you," she said simply, and tried walking around him.

He stepped in front of her again, blocking the path. "Come on, I'll just bring it to your house for y'all," he said gently.

She shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't trust low-lives like you." There was a bitter twang in her voice as she pushed right past him.

Jason abruptly grabbed the box and pulled, thinking he could just take it and run. But the women had a grip like iron, and refused to let go. And so the game of Tug of War: Box Edition was invented.

"Release it before I yell for the sheriff!" she ordered, digging her heels in the ground and pulling the box back towards herself. A little bit of an accent crept into her voice, but Jason was too focused on getting the box before anyone noticed him to really pay attention.

"Oo, I'm so scared!" Jason mocked, hiding his concern at the unexpected struggle. With a final tug, he ripped the box from the woman's grasp. He peeked inside and saw-

"Tools?!" he sputtered, seeing the contents. "Just tools?!"

The young woman looked like she was about to dive and latch onto it again, but, glancing up and then back to Jason, just crossed her arms.

"Let me guess; you expected me to be carrying a bunch of jewels and fancy fabrics in that box, didn't you?"

"Uh, yaaah…." Jason said slowly, still looking at the tools. "I think these tools are much more useful, to be honest y'all, but I don't think Robert would think the same way."

The woman tilted her head in interest, the whole theft ordeal forgotten for a second.

"You mean like… Robert Shadow? The crime king? You—" She suddenly cut off, and looked behind Jason. "Oh, good morning, Sheriff!"

 _She's bluffin', she has to be!_ Jason thought desperately, slowly turning around, heart pounding. But to his horror, he turned around to found himself face to face with the town's sheriff, Caleb Brown. He towered over Jason by half a foot, grey eyes piercing into him and sheriff badge glinting even in the dim light.

"Is Mr. Grant here causing you trouble, ma'am?" he asked the woman, eyes never leaving Jason.

Jason gulped.

"Yes, actually," she replied, taking the box out of the startled thief's hands and brushing it off casually. "He tried stealing my supplies."

"W-what?" Jason sputtered. "I-I didn't mean to...I didn't actually…I-I wasn't r-really going to-"

He tried dashing away, but Caleb caught his arm and shoved him to the ground. Jason reached for his pistol, but Caleb neatly pulled it out of his holster with the toe of his boot and kicked it out of reach where the young woman gingerly picked it up. Caleb cuffed him, and quickly tied a rope from him to where his jet black horse stood nearby, waiting patiently.

"It's such a pleasure to have finally caught you, Mr. Grant," he said. "That's one less thief to terrorize this town. And one less poster to keep printing out!" He jumped onto his horse. "Have a nice evening, ma'am," he said to the woman with the tip of his hat, and he flicked the reigns and began to move.

Jason stumbled behind, almost falling down. _Wow, Jason, you really screwed up this time_ , he thought to himself as he was practically dragged to the town jail.

* * *

Clara let out a quiet moan as she started to regain consciousness. Her head throbbed terribly, and she felt the cold hard-wooden floor though the thin blanket she was lying on top of. The memory of what had happened in the schoolhouse went rushing through her head, and she quickly sat up, causing a wave of nausea. She brought a shaky hand to her forehead, and looked around at her surroundings.

It was pretty nice for a prison, but not exactly cozy. It was a medium sized room, lit by two small lanterns. The walls made of the same dense wood as the floor, and two windows were on the right side of the room. They would have been normal if it weren't for the iron bars in front of the windows' glass and the not exactly scenic view of a brick wall beyond. The door was also thick wood, with a small barred window.

Clara spotted John lying on the floor a few feet away. She crawled over to him, and gently shook his shoulder. "John? Are you okay?"

John slowly say up, and looked around. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that they were imprisoned. "I'm fine. And you?"

Clara rubbed her head. "Besides an awful headache, I'm okay."

John nodded, and continued to look around. He stood up and walked over the windows, looking out.

"See anything helpful?" Clara asked.

"There's a building right up against this one; an extremely tight-fitting alleyway separates these two buildings. So I can safely assume we are still in town," concluded John. "Probably in the poorer section, looking at the condition of the neighboring building and the trash in the alleyway."

Clara sighed, and started to fiddle with her brown curls. "My father is really going to lose it. Lawrence too."

John walked back over and sat next to her. "I sense he will find us soon. He already was starting to get leads on where the resistance hideout is. I'm pretty sure that's where we are."

"Oh, I know he'll find us eventually. It's just that he never exactly approved of me being a teacher, and he might use this as an excuse to pull me out of teaching."

John looked over at her. "He would do that?"

"Yeah. He always wanted me to be like Lawrence and work in the government. But I rather help people than count money." She hugged her knees. "It was really hard to convince him to let me teach."

John nodded thoughtfully.

Sudden chatter came from the direction of the door. John and Clara both turned to look. They saw a little light shine from around the corner, and heard voices talking in excited tones. Even the occasional owl call.

"The resistance leaders must have returned from whatever mission they were out completing," John observed. "Perhaps we'll have the pleasure of meeting them soon."

* * *

A few hours before the two teachers had regained consciousness, Jason was thrown in a stuffy wooden cell which had another guy sitting in the corner. He fell ungracefully onto the ground, not able to catch himself with his hands still bound. Caleb slammed the cell door shut and turned the key to lock it with a loud _click_.

"Enjoy your stay for the next ten years!" Caleb said smirking through the bars. Then he briskly walked away, off to hunt down more criminals, no doubt, as Jason thought.

"Yes! I have a-someone to talk to!" The other man in the cell exclaimed, jumping out of his corner with surprising liveliness. He was wearing an old uniform for the resistance, and his dark brown hair fell slightly into his bright eyes. "So, why are y'all in here? Oh, name's Mongwau!" He held out a bound hand.

Jason looked up at him from where he was still flat on the ground, blinking. "Jason," he said slowly. "I got here 'cause I stole stuff."

"Ah, the ol' fashioned way! Here, let me help y'all up!" Mongwau shifted his chained hands and grabbing each of Jason's wrists, helping him to his feet. "Wow, they must really hate ya! Those look like some tight cuffs! Anyways, I was put in here 'cause me and other resistance fighters were tryin' to get in Mayor Green's office to try and overthrow him and the rest of the government. Sadly, we were a-caught and I slowed down 'em, so I was caught, but everyone else made it out, y'all."

"Uh-huh, shame," Jason said, not really listening. He sat down on a squeaky bunk and tried to loosen up the hand cuffs by twisting them to no avail.

"The worst thang y'all has to be how I was separated from my very best companion, Fluffers. You should've met him! He knew the answer to every question, I swear!"

A couple hours passed, Mongwau was still rambling on about how owls should be normal pets like cats, dogs, and horses.

Jason was trying to fall asleep and starting to think Caleb put him in here with this guy on purpose to torture him when a loud _BANG_ came from the front of the prison. It was obviously a gun, but why? And, _how_? A scuffle could be heard from a distance outside the cell.

"Weeelll, doesn't that sound interesting, y'all!" Mongwau exclaimed, taking a break from his owl rant. "Maybe we're about to be rescued! Fingers crossed, it's good ole Fluffers!"

After several minutes, a sound of clinking keys came from the cell door. Jason immediately sat up, and Mongwau froze in his chatting. The door then was swung open wildly, and in the door stood a girl with blazing red hair and amber eyes, wearing a simple brown dress with a silver belt and holding a pistol in one hand and a ring of keys in the other.

"Well, if it ain't Stephanie Stormer?" Mongwau said. He jumped up and went over to her. "Took ya long enough. I've been here by myself for a week!"

"Yes, tragic, I'm sure," Stephanie replied with an eye roll. "Now, we need to get out of here! Cam is making sure those guards don't wake up before leave, but one still got away and is probably finding backup as we speak. Anyways, spread out your hands."

Mongwau did as she said, pulling the chain binding his hands taut. Stephanie raised her pistol and fired, breaking the chain apart.

"So, you're the resistance?" Jason asked curiously.

"It's not just me. There's a good handful of us. But, we're always looking for new recruits if you want to join," she said, pointing the pistol at him. "Or we can just silence you and leave. Your choice."

 _Blasphemy! They certainly know how convince people to join,_ He thought. He said cautiously with his hands raised above his head, "I guess I have no choice."

She nodded, then gestured to his bound hands with her gun. Jason spread them as he saw Mongwau do, and partially closed his eyes as Stephanie raised her pistol and shot the chain apart. He gingerly rubbed at the metal cuffs. Stephanie put her gun down.

"Try anything, and I'll silence you in a heartbeat," she warned sternly, giving Jason a meaningful look as she put the pistol in its holster. Then she turned and began to lead them out the cell. Jason stood up and followed Stephanie and Mongwau out of the hallway of cells. In the front of the building where the sheriff's empty desk sat, three guards sat slumped on the ground, bound and gagged, leaning up against the desk. A young man with messy black hair stood nearby, arms crossed. He looked up when they approached.

"Are those the last ones?" he asked boredly.

"Yep," Stephanie replied. She looked over at the unconscious guards. "What do you think we should do with them, Cam?"

"Eh, just leave 'em. They're already nice and wrapped up just for the sheriff." Cam laughed a little as his own joke. "Anyways, all the others are already down in the tunnels. Let's go!"

Mongwau let out a weird, triumphant noise, which Jason then realized was an owl call. Stephanie and Cam shared a look, but otherwise didn't comment on it. They were used to it by now.

As Jason walked by the unconscious guards and towards these "tunnels", he shivered at the thought _What have I gotten myself into...?_

* * *

"Finally, some action!" Cole cut in.

"Young sausage, what did I say about interrupting the story?" Sensei Wu gave him a cool glare.

"Right. Sorry!"

* * *

Kyle Smithereens was, once again, waiting for someone to come to purchase some hay. _Why do these people not want hay?!_ He thought. _It's the definition of useful in these parts…isn't it?_

Suddenly, a piece of wood hit the wall right behind him with violent force. _What in tarnation?_ He looked around the marketplace, but no one seemed to notice. He walked over to the piece of wood and picked it up, looking it over. _Somethin' strange is goin' on..._

He went back to his stand and saw that his wheelbarrow had disappeared! Kyle whipped around wildly, but didn't see anyone nearby. _What in Ninjago?_ He dropped the wood and scanned the market for any sight of the wheelbarrow. Nothing. Until he spotted a girl pushing it. She had orange-copper hair in a braid and was wearing a purple shirt with a tattered fur vest and stained leather pants. Obviously not an upperclass.

He stepped in front of her and crossed his arms, "Excuse me, miss," he said, "but, I believe this here is my wheelbarrow."

She stared at him, her light hazel eyes filled to the brim with annoyance. "I need this, so move before I make y'all get outta my way!" She said fiercely.

Kyle stared at her too; he knew from somewhere... _The wanted posters!_ "Hey, ain't y'all one of those bandi-"

She cut him off. "Move!" She pushed the wheelbarrow with a sudden jerk forwards, causing Kyle to stumble back a few steps.

"I can call the sheriff!..." he said in a loud whisper leaning over the wheelbarrow to get closer. "…Tessa Taylor!"

"All I need is for y'all to move, so I can beat Jason Garbage with my swag quota! If y'all don't…" She drew back her vest slightly, revealing the gun holster hidden underneath it.

"Or," Kyle said, "I can just call the sheriff over here. I can see him from here! I hear the bounty on yer head is really high…" Then, an idea struck Kyle's mind, "What do ya say if we made a deal. I don't tell the sheriff and help keep you out of jail and ya can keep the wheelbarrow if y'all help me get money." He smiled evilly, rubbing his hands together.

Tessa looked at him as if he was crazy, which, he probably was. "I'll think about it," she replied, pushing past him with the wheelbarrow. "If ya really want my _expertise_ , there will be a price, y'all. But if ya as crazy as I think you are, I guess I'll be seein' ya around." With that, she turned down an alleyway and disappeared from sight.

 _This will be perfect. I'll get that money for the farm in no time if this works out!_ he thought as he walked back to his stand, where a few bushels of hay still sat stacked on top of each other. But still, no one stopped to buy anything.

* * *

 **Well, that was a longer chunk than I thought it would be. XD Anyways, have an amazing week and happy fourth to all you fellow Americans out there! And anyone else too. Just happy first week of July to everyone! :)**


	4. The Art of Hiring and Recruiting

Chapter Four: The Art of Hiring and Recruiting

" **I'm not hungry. But, I am bored. Therefore, I shalt eat." Story of my life right now. XD But it's so nice outside right now, ishsldfjeiflkdfjlsldjdk! I was literally sitting out there doing absolutely nothing earlier. :) Anyways, let's just jump right into this fourth chapter, shall we?**

 **Anonymous7: I'm glad I guessed right! If I didn't…well, that would've been a bit embarrassing. XD And I never realized that; this story does have hints of season four in it, doesn't it? And yas, Jason/Jay is sure in a sticky situation! As Tia…or Tessa, technically…would say, "He's always gettin' into trouble! He** _ **is**_ **trouble!" XD And thank you so much! :D**

* * *

Tessa pushed the wheelbarrow down a series of twisting alleyways, towards the hidden bandit hideout. _That peep is mad, y'all!_ She thought to herself. _Wantin' the help of a bandit? Talk 'bout desperate!_

She looked through the many stolen treasures inside the wheelbarrow. Money, jewelry, top notch cart wheels, leathers and furs, and even two boxes of fresh bread rolls. _This gotta be my best haul yet! I can't wait to see Jason's face when I beat him!_

Soon she reached the bandit camp. It was hidden between two abandoned buildings, and she could see the flickers of small campfires lighting the clusters of tents filling up the space. Not that far away was a small, shady marketplace right inside what used to be a beautiful courtyard. Now the old wooden walls of the buildings surrounding it were falling down around it, abandoned and neglected. _The black market,_ Tessa remembered as she looked over at the shadowy vendors. In the fading light, the place looked downright creepy.

As she got closer to the campfires, she could hear the usual bickering of other bandits. She walked through the camp, keeping her eyes on the large tent in the middle. She could tell the others were staring at her as she walked by with her large stack of wares. She kept her hand by her belt where she kept a small pistol, just in case. You couldn't trust anyone here.

She reached the tent, parking the wheelbarrow right outside and approaching the flap. "Tessa Taylor, back with wares," she called out while keeping check of all the other bandits behind her from the corner of her eye.

A muffled, "Enter," sounded from inside. With a quick glance behind her, Tessa grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow and pushed through the tent flaps into the tent.

The faded beige tent was free of furniture besides a small cot in the corner and a chipped chestnut oak desk in the middle. Behind it sat Robert Shadow, leader of the bandits. He wore traditional rugged bandit garb and a strange eye patch device over his missing eye. He was examining a small ruby by holding it up to the lantern light. Then he scribbled something down on the yellowed paper in front of him. He didn't look up at her, but Tessa knew he was aware of every move she made and could whip out his knife and throw it before she could even blink. At least, that's what all the others said, talking about the bandits who once tried to become the new crime lord of the camp. The only ones who could've seen it were dead.

"I brought back more than today's quota," Tessa drawled excitedly, gesturing at the wheelbarrow.

For several seconds, Robert continued to write something down without saying anything. Then, with a sigh, he set the quill and ruby down and walked over to the wheelbarrow. He looked through it carefully, commenting on each item as he picked it up.

"Emerald necklace…hmm, looks like some good money…new cart wheels? I guess somethin' could be done with those…money of course...and is this an actual sapphire? Rare, quite rare indeed…." He looked back up, acknowledging her existence for the first time since she entered the tent. "Well done, Taylor. Y'all know the drill, take 'bout ten percent of the wares for yerself."

Tessa selected a handful of money and some hoop earrings. "Did I beat Garb- ahem, _Grant_ this time?" she asked, putting in the earrings. She picked up a compact mirror from the pile and checked her reflection in it. The small gold hoops made her look fierce she decided.

Robert sat down on the edge of his desk, arms crossed. "That's the thing, y'all. We heard that he was caught by Sheriff Brown in the marketplace today."

Tessa dropped the mirror in the wheelbarrow and looked back up, surprised. She couldn't care less if he was in jail, but she knew that when it came to skill, they were pretty evenly matched. If he was caught, then there was a chance that she could be caught as well. "How?"

"Baydon and Ronza, who were in the area and witnessed the arrest, say he was trying to steal a box of riches from some girl, and the sheriff came up behind him and cornered him."

Tessa pursed her lips. _Mental note to self: watch yer back. And don't get distracted. That should be easy enough._

"Anyways, I have work to do, y'all," Robert said, sitting back down behind his desk. "Yer dismissed."

Tessa left the tent, stuffing the money in her pocket. Ignoring the cold glares, she walked out of the camp and towards her home. _They just jealous I'm a better bandit then them_ , she thought, shooting some glares at them over her shoulder.

She reached an abandoned building, the brick walls crumbling. She entered, and went up the rickety stairs. _Home sweet home._ There were various pieces of junk and treasure filling her room, with a creaky cot in the middle of it all. She tossed the money in an empty can of soup and threw herself on the cot. She grabbed a piece of stale bread and a cup of water. While she ate, she thought about that messy-haired dude's offer.

 _It would be quite the challenge, but maybe I could use one,_ she thought. _Maybe I really can get something out of it. If I don't, that man will find out why you shouldn't make deals with bandits._

She nodded to herself, and tossed the rest of the bread on a pile of clothes. She laid down to get some sleep before the hectic tomorrow.

* * *

The Camquedest library was one of the most well-known and ancient libraries on the continent. In the rich growing city of Minzajitsu, the tall limestone building towered over almost every other structure in the city, visible for miles. It was a paradise for scholars and philosophers, for it contained everything from ancients texts of long ago civilizations to the newest books with the latest facts on the just discovered frog species most people would never care to know about. Not many were allowed into this library without special permission from the truth-seekers who ran it, but luckily Cowboy Queue was one of the few outsiders let in. After all, he had quite the wide-spread reputation.

He was more of a retired cowboy because of his old age, but everyone still knew him as Cowboy Queue. In the old days he was known as the heroic and handsome wanderer who went from town to city to kingdom helping the ones with struggling economies and uncontrollable crime rates. No one would have ever thought he was originally from Ninjhaven, a tiny crumpling town where his older brother was currently mayor.

Today he walked through the hundreds of shelves, looking for something but not really knowing what, exactly. He had all these strange feelings that came out to be very useful, and now he was having a feeling that there was something in the library. Something important. Something he needed to find.

* * *

"Wait!" Kai interrupted, "Why are y'all talkin' 'bout a library?! This story seemed to be 'bout the Wild West, not readin'!"

"Forget the library," Tia said, arms crossed. "Can we comment on how this Qu dude kinda sounds really full of himself?"

Sensei Wu shot her a withering glare. "Are you not listening, sausage? He is the most respectable, intelligent, heroic, and wise person in this story, so I suggest you all stop interrupting and learn a thing or two from this iconic character!"

There was silence among the ninja besides a few shared looks.

"Thank you."

* * *

Running a hand along a tall shelve lined with stack upon stacks of scrolls, Cowboy Queue stopped in his tracks. _Something important is right here…_

He looked through the scrolls until he found the one that sent a sudden chill through him. He quickly opened it up. His eyes scanned the thick paper, taking in the vague prophecy written on it. And something in his bones said that this prophecy was waiting to be fulfilled, and fulfilled very soon…

"The Wild Roundup…" Queue murmured to himself, stroking his long beard in deep thought.

Rolling up the scroll, he quickly strode to the front desk with purpose where a scholar sat, reading a dusty old volume.

"Do you think I could borrow this?" Cowboy Queue asked him, holding out the scroll.

"Hmm…" The scholar reached out and took it, opening it and looking it over. "An old prophecy made by…well, it doesn't say." He rolled it up and handed it back to Queue. "I believe we have another copy of it hiding around here somewhere, but it's never been a text we took seriously." The scholar looked Queue up and down. "I'm sure the other philosophers won't mind if you used it." And so, the modern day system of library check-outs was invented.

"Thank you," Cowboy Queue said politely, tipping his hat and taking hold of the scroll as he walked towards the library's exit. He was going to get the Wild Roundup together. He just had to find them, and he knew exactly where to look.

* * *

"It is time for ya to take the Resistance pledge, y'all!" Cam addressed the group, pulling out a knife from its sheath.

"The what now?" Jason asked, eyeing the knife nervously.

A few hours earlier, Stephanie Stomer and Cam Smithereens had led Jason, Mongwau, and the other freed prisoners through the damp underground resistance tunnels and up into a townhouse turned war-planning-headquarters. The walls even had numerous brown and silver banners hanging on the walls saying things like, "Stop these taxes!", "Representation for all!", and "Let's get 'em." That last one looked like it was glued together.

The group had been let inside by the man guarding the trap door after Stephanie gave him the password of "Sparkly Jam." Then the resistance members in the group of prisoners ran to greet their friends while Jason and the other confused freed convicts were led into the large room with a stage made of wood crates in the front and more large banners covering the walls. The rest was a blur of introductions and rules, policies and protocols. And now Jason was gathered with other freed prisoners and the main leaders of the resistance, about to take this pledge, whatever it was.

Irene Brown, who was introduced as being in charge of keeping the resistance's supplies in check, stepped forward on the makeshift stage. Jason had been surprised to find that the dark-haired sister of the sheriff was part of the resistance. Mongwau had told him that she never agreed with the way the government ran things, and would spy for the resistance.

"New fellow resistance fighters," she yelled above the din. "Before we can truly except you into our inner circle of freedom defenders, you must first take our pledge!"

Stephanie went down the row of the nine freed prisoners and gave them each a small, but deadly sharp knife. Jason took his, beginning to panic a little. _What are they gonna have me do?_

He looked up at the stage of wooden crates and saw Mongwau give him a reassuring nod. His pet owl, which he had immediately called when they got inside, sat on his shoulder, staring at the new recruits with unblinking eyes.

"Follow my lead!" continued Irene. She took a knife and cut her palm without flinching, letting the blood drip into a large clay bowl of water that sat on the edge of the stage. Stephanie, Cam, and Mongwau followed suit, turning the water bright red.

 _Ugh!_ Jason thought. _These here people are downright morbid!_

The line of recruits went to the bowl one at a time, mixing their blood in with the others. When it was Jason's turn, he closed his eyes, feeling the sharp, cold prick of the knife slicing his left hand. Finally, after the last recruit performed the morbid ritual, Cam stepped forward.

"Repeat after me," he said. "I pledge myself to the resistance..."

 _I pledge myself to the resistance,_

"To fight for the freedom of the people..."

 _To fight for the freedom of the people,_

"And defend the rights of all who dwell in this town."

 _And defend the rights of all who dwell in this town._

"And should I betray the resistance..."

 _And should I betray the resistance,_

"Let the resistance take from me what I took from them."

 _Let the resistance take from me what I took from them._

Jason shuddered slightly after repeating the last line with the others. He was officially in one, hot, mess.

Cam smiled. "I think that was pretty good for comin' up with it on the fly," he said. Irene face palmed.

Stephanie sighed, shaking her head with a slight smile on her face and turned to the new recruits. "Welcome to the resistance."

* * *

Kyle woke up early the next day. _Only four more days to pay the bill. And all I have is a few bucks._ He shook his head. _No! I'm gonna save the farm!_ He thought. He walked downstairs to find an uninvited guest sitting on the counter like she had every right to be there. Tessa Taylor.

"How did ya know I lived here!" He yelled at her, clutching his chest.

"A bandit never spills her secrets." She smiled wickedly.

"Ya almost gave meh a heart attack! Ya could have knocked at least!"

"Ah, where's the fun in that?"

Kyle was now really getting ticked off with this girl. Maybe this whole bandit alliance thing was not such a clever idea. He then tried calming himself by taking a few deep breaths and asked, "Well, did y'all make a decision?"

Tessa nodded. "I'll help y'all. But, if I don't get somethin' outta it, y'all get **it**!" She said with her hands clenched into fists.

"Okay! So, we a-start today! Since the bill is due in four days."

"That's it? You waited for four days before it was due?!" She said, annoyed. She thought, _This is gonna be challengin', considerin' how big that bill is._

"I didn't get that much time to begin with!" Kyle argued. "And I just came up with this idea yesterday, y'all! Anyways," he continued, pulling on his boots, "let's get goin'!"

Tessa sighed, swiping an apple from a bowl on the counter as she slipped off and followed behind him.

They walked to town, which was already beginning to fill with vendors and several early shoppers. Finding the same spot as yesterday, Kyle set up his hay stand once again while Tessa went out looking for money, or something she could sell to get money.

 _Lotsa rich people here today..._ she thought as she pick-pocketed a couple people, receiving a small stash of money as a reward.

Hours went by. Still, no one bought his hay. Kyle was getting impatient. There had to be someone! That's when Lawrence Green, the mayor's stuck-up son, came riding into the square on his pure white horse groomed to perfection.

"'Cuse me, but would ya like some hay?" Kyle asked as Lawrence rode by, looking up at him. Normally he would avoid Lawrence as much as possible, but maybe he might sell _something_ , seeing as the kid was out riding his horse.

Lawrence glared down at him. "No, but remember, the b-"

"I know, y'all!" Kyle cut in with frustration. _All he ever cares about are these taxes!_

Lawrence glared harder at him. "No one interrupts me!"

"Geez! No need to get all tied up!"

He rode off ignoring Kyle, nose in the air.

 _This kid thinks he can do whatever he wants! I'll show him! Eventually..._ Kyle thought, as he waited for another long couple of hours for someone to buy the hay.

* * *

 **And here we end the chapter once again, with Kyle trying unsuccessfully to sell hay. XD Anyways, please feel free to leave a review I hope you all have an amazing week! ;)**


	5. Shine Bright Like a Diamond!

Chapter 5: Shine bright like a diamond! (So cliche)

 **Oh wow! I jump from writing the latest section in this story with Kendra to editing and posting this fifth chapter. I mean, I'm going through this whole thang like, "Don't they know this already? Oh…waaaiitt…that didn't happen yet…" XD Anyways, something I forgot to mention in the last chapter was that the last couple lines in the resistance pledge were actually inspired by this pledge in The Young Elites by Marie Lu. That book is** _ **dark**_ **! So of course, I had to weave a thread of it into this fanfic like the morbid person I am…XD And yep, this posting is a bit late, so let's just get right into it now!**

 **Anonymous7: Eh, who cares about Kyle, though? Ok, jk. XD There's always just something so amusing in picking on Kai's character since the start of Ninjago... And speaking of Ninjago, our favorites season(s)? *stares thoughtfully into the distance* For me, probably both season four and five; I can't pick just one! XD Kendra said seasons 5-7; they're only getting more intense! I'm still working my way through season 7, so I still have yet to see where that falls on my list of favorites. :)**

* * *

"I'm going to get some popcorn!" Jay stood up suddenly, stretching. "Does anyone else want any?"

Everyone except for Tia and Sensei Wu shouted requests for popcorn.

"Extra butter!"

"Just plain is fine."

"Garlic's the best!"

"Do we still have those gluten free ones?"

"Marshmallow!"

"Put some chili power on mine, y'all!"

"Low fat. The internet says it's like, SO much better for you."

"I'd like salt on mine, if you don't mind."

"Shredded cheese, please."

"No one...puts...cheese...on...popcorn!"

Jay blinked. "Um, okay...I'll be back, I guess." He ran off to the kitchen.

Sensei Wu sighed, tugging on his beard. "Is this really necessary, young sausages?"

"Of course!" Cole burst out. "You can expect us to sit here this long without nourishment!"

Wu sighed once again. "Popcorn hardly qualifies as nourishment, little sausage. If you want proper nourishment, you should be having sausages."

"And you shouldn't be having popcorn made by _that_." Tia added, gesturing to the kitchen with her face pinched in disgust.

As if on cue, Jay came back into the living room, balancing ten bowls of popcorn. He began handing them out randomly, getting many shouts of protest.

"Hey, I didn't want no marshmallow popcorn, y'all!"

"I asked for _extra_ butter!"

"Ew! I don't want plain ones! These are Zane's!"

"Um, these don't exactly look _low fat_."

"Agh! These are spicy!"

Sensei Wu face palmed.

Mac turned to Carol, being the only one whose popcorn order was correct. "Do you want to try one? They're better than they look," he asked, holding out his bowl of cheese-coated popped corn kernels.

"Sure," Carol said with a shrug, about to take one. Lloyd's eyes got wider than anyone thought was humanly possible, and he immediately jumped up and smacked the bowl of popcorn out of Mac's hand. It went airborne, flying across the room, where it smacked right into Sensei Wu.

Everyone froze. Wu slowly took the bowl off his head, cheese everywhere. Popcorn was stuck in his beard. "This is why bowls weren't made to fly," he said slowly.

Mac and Carol gave Lloyd pointed glares. He sat back down, face reddening.

"Now that you have your _nourishment_ ," Sensei Wu continued, controlled anger in his voice, "let's get back to our story, shall we?"

No one said anything.

"Good. Now, No. More. Interruptions."

* * *

Clara and John were sitting in their prison in complete boredom, waiting to see if someone would show themselves. They mostly lounged on the cold ground, napping or buried in their own thoughts. Right now, John stared out the window while Clara slept nearby, occasionally turning over in her sleep. He was contemplating the irony of the fact that the day before he was going to install that lock on the schoolhouse's main doors was the day he and Clara were kidnapped, when he suddenly heard someone approaching the cell door.

He assumed that Clara wasn't really sleeping when she suddenly perked up as well, glancing over at the door and then to John.

"Maybe we may finally get a few answers," she said quietly.

John nodded, but still kept his eyes on the approaching shadow outside the door.

Soon they heard the lock click and in came the black-haired young man who had taken part in their kidnapping earlier. He kept one hand on his gun holster and the other held a dented metal tray with half a loaf of stale looking bread and two metal cups of what John assumed was water. He slowly set the tray on the floor a few feet from the door and then promptly turned to leave.

Before he started to close the door, John quickly said, "Excuse me, but why are we here, exactly?"

He looked back with a hand on the door, hesitating as if not knowing if he should say anything to them or not. Then he replied, "Hostage. Ransom. The usual. But I'm sure y'all will be back in that crumbling school in no time with the resources yer daddy has," he finished, directing that last part at Clara with a bit of venom in his tone.

He was about to leave again when Clara burst out, "Who are you, exactly?"

The young man turned back, sizing Clara up and down and then shrugging. "I guess it really doesn't matter since ya won't be able to track down this place again anyways. Name's Smithereens; _pleasure_ to meet y'all. Now, if you'd excuse meh, I've got work to do." He went out the cell and closed the door behind himself in one rapid motion. John and Clara waited till a while after his footsteps faded away before talking.

"Smithereens?" John questioned to himself. "The name sounds a little bit familiar…"

"Isn't that the last name of the famous female inventor... Natalie, was it?" Clara asked.

"I believe so. They look related. Most likely they are siblings or cousins. Strange though," John continued, looking thoughtfully at the spectacular brick view outside the window, "they're in completely various positions. Practically on opposite sides."

Clara sighed. "Isn't that what it's like in all of Ninjhaven? Families divided, you and your neighbors ready to war against each other, chaos in the government?" She gingerly ripped a piece of the rough loaf of bread and began to nibble at it.

John looked over at the cell door. He couldn't remember there being a click from the latch when Smithereens closed it…

"There's so much discord in this town, you just have to wonder if there will ever be a way to fix it all. Do you think there's something we could do, John? John?"

John looked up from where he was messing with the cell door. "I'm not very sure. That is a very complicated and complex topic to be sure."

Clara whirled to face him. She asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

"I didn't hear Smithereens lock it, so I'm seeing if it is, in fact, locked," he replied. Then, after wiggling the hinges a little bit more, the door started to open.

Clara held back a cheer of excitement. "We could escape!" She quietly rushed over next to John. "Are there any guards?"

John carefully peeked around the door. Outside was a short, narrow hallway with peeling pale-yellow paint, and around the corner John could just make out a medium sized room and half of a table filled with chatting and laughing rebels. The other side of the hallway seemed to be a dead end.

He looked back at Clara and whispered, "There are some people out there. I sense we would be able to safely escape with an estimated 10% chance."

Clara sighed angrily. "Ugh, escaping would be hopeless. They'll see us instantly!" She paused for a second, then added, "But perhaps we can wait and see if they'll clear out. I can't imagine they'll just sit there forever. We could make a break for it with only one or two people out there, maybe without them noticing."

John thought about it. "There is a chance that may work. But, if we do get caught, they'd make sure to always lock the door after putting us back in here."

"But, if we don't try, we'll be like sitting ducks here, hoping my father can track us down," she protested. "And I don't want to just wait for someone else to come and rescue me."

"Hm, maybe," considered John. "Though, it might take lots of time before there's only one or two."

Clara turned and sat back down on the tattered blanket. "Then, we will wait."

* * *

Tessa scowled at the sleeping Kyle from across the street. _Honestly, he's hopeless!_ She lugged the white picket fence sections she was carrying over there and dropped it in front of him with a loud _thuck!_

Kyle immediately sat up. "What the heck, y'all...?" He rubbed his eyes and saw Tessa, standing in front of him, hands on hips.

"Sell these," she ordered, pointing at the pile of white picket fence by her feet. "And a-make sure y'all get a good price for them!"

"Uh..." He stared at the fence. "Where did y'all get these?"

Tessa gestured boredly at a vender diagonal from them. "I stole them from that there stand."

"WHAT?!" Kyle sprung up, looking horrified. "Ya can't just steal stuff from booths across from us! They'll notice, y'all!"

Tessa now examined her nails, not frazzled. "If ya don't advertise it, they won't notice a thang." _And if y'all keep this up, they will._

Kyle scoffed. "Well, are you makin' progress with the money or not?"

She pulled out a small leather bag from her pocket and handed it to him, smiling smugly. Kyle took it, suspicious, and opened it. He gasped. Inside were dozens of small, clear gems, shimmering in the little light the open bag brought in. Diamonds.

"Where did y'all get these?!" Kyle asked, panicking.

Tessa shrugged. "I stole it from that carriage over there by the bank," she said, pointing. "I heard 'em say somethin' 'bout 'deliverin' the mayor's riches'. Who knew the mayor was this greedy?"

Kyle began hipper ventilating. "I SAID MONEY, Y'ALL! NOT THE MAYOR'S BANK ACCOUNT! Y'ALL GONNA GET ME HANGED!"

"Settle down, y'all," Tessa said, rolling her eyes. "That pampered pig will hardly notice. Besides, he could use a little bit of humblin'. And those diamonds, sold in the black market, could keep that junkyard of a farm running for _years_."

"BLACK MARKET?!" Kyle looked like he really was about to have a heart attack.

Tessa gave an exasperated sigh. "Welcome to the bandit world, partner."

At that moment, Tessa spotted Sheriff Brown making his rounds down the street on his jet-black horse, coming their way. She paled. "Oh man," she murmured, showing her first sign of concern. "Hide me!" She dashed under the wheelbarrow, pulling the fence in front of her.

Kyle continued to hipper ventilate. "Does he know...he knows! I'm gonna die!"

"He doesn't know about the diamonds, stupid!" Tessa whispered from underneath the wheelbarrow. "But I'm a wanted fugitive. If he catches me, my life is over, y'all. Literally! So shut up and act normal, cause if I'm caught, I ain't gonna hesitate to kill you!"

Kyle tried to slow his breathing and look inconspicuous as the sheriff passed by his stand. But the sheriff must have noticed something strange, because he stopped right in front of him.

"Hay?" he asked, looking amused. "You know hay isn't exactly high in demand right now, right?"

Kyle gulped. "Well, uh, ya see, I just wanted to-"

Sheriff Brown cut him off, eyes narrowing. "What's in the bag?" He pointed at the bag of diamonds.

All color drained from Kyle's face. "Uh, it's, j-just some...it's i-it's..." From underneath the wheelbarrow, Tessa gave him a sharp kick in the leg. "Uh, supplies! Yeah, supplies, y'all. F-for...for the stand."

The sheriff raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Because I just heard that a bag of the mayor's diamonds went missing. A bag, that looks just like that one."

"O-oh..."

"If it really is just supplies, you wouldn't mind me taking a look, would you?"

Everyone in the marketplace was silent, staring at the unfolding scene.

"U-u-ummmm, well..."

Sheriff Brown promptly took the bag out of Kyle's hands and opened it.

Kyle trembled. _Now I won't just lose the farm, I'll also lose my life!_ he thought.

But then the sheriff closed the bag and tossed it back to him. Kyle barely caught it, stunned.

"Guess you're innocent," Sheriff Brown said, sounding disappointed. "I have more searching to do. Have a pleasant afternoon." With that, he rode off.

Kyle stood there dumbly while the marketplace began to continue their previous activities. He opened the bag. It was filled with brown sugar.

Tessa crawled out from under the wheelbarrow. "You should've seen yer face!" she said, laughing hysterically.

"What? I don't..."

Tessa held up a bag identical to the one Kyle was holding. "I ain't an idiot!" she huffed. "Y'all seriously think I'd leave the diamonds out in the open with the sheriff coming? While you were panicking, I switched the bags with some brown sugar I found earlier. Brown, as in, we made Sheriff Brown look like a total idiot!" She burst out into another fit of laughter.

Kyle breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled. Teaming up with a bandit wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

"Now that we have fifty people here in our group, I do declare we should try and overthrow the government once and for all!" Cam exclaimed to Stephanie and Irene. The three were in a small tucked-away room in the resistance compound arranging a meeting. Or, as Cam was calling it, a council of war.

"So, basically we're just goin' in and attackin' to take control?" Irene asked skeptically, an eyebrow raised.

"Correct!" Cam said, and he hit his fist on the hard-wooden table they were gathered around.

"Easier said than done." Stephanie said, arms crossed.

"Correct! Again!" Cam said, slamming his fist down once again on the table.

"Can ya please stop bangin' yer hand on the table?" Irene asked, rolling her eyes.

Cam frowned. "Fine," he said, dropping his hands to his sides.

"So, how should we arrange ourselves?" Stephanie asked. She smoothed out a sketch of town hall on the table. "We'll still pretty small, so we'll have to take them by surprise."

"I say some of us should distract the guard while the rest goes in," Irene offered. She pointed to the back of the building on the map. "There's windows back here the second group can easily break into."

"What a great idea!' Cam said, once again throwing his fist on the table.

Irene face palmed.

"Well, all the guards probably won't leave their stations to go after a couple people," Stephanie pointed out.

It was then they heard an owl hooting from outside the room's door.

"I'll get it." Irene said with a sigh. She stood up and walked to the door while Cam and Stephanie continued planning. She opened it to find Mongwau with his pet owl leaning against the door-frame. He jumped in surprise when he saw her, looking slightly guilty.

"What are ya doin'?" she asked in a loud annoyed whisper.

Mongwau pointed at the owl and said, "He wanted to know, y'all!"

Irene took a deep breath and said, "Just go and don't tell anyone what ya heard." Her eyes were narrowed.

"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted and walked back down the hallway.

Irene watched him till he was out of sight then closed the door. She walked back to her seat and Cam said, "I'm guessin' it was Mongwau."

She nodded. "I told him not to tell anyone what we were talkin' 'bout and sent 'im on his way."

Stephanie pursed her lips. "You're sure we can trust him with that? He does talk a lot."

"Hopefully he doesn't say anythin'. I mean, we don't have this as our official plan, so if he says somethin', everyone else might think this really is our actual plan." Irene looked back at the map. "But there's not much we really can do about it unless we taped his mouth shut. But somethin' tells me that won't do much either."

"Correct!" Cam said, hitting his fist on the table.

Irene sighed.

Stephanie cleared her throat. "Anyways," she continued, "I think I have a new idea..."

* * *

Natalie felt around for a wrench. She grasped it, then tightened a few bolts. She was underneath her latest invention, a horseless carriage. The main frame of it was done, and now she just needed to work on the engine.

She wiped at a smear of oil on her forehead, and fiddled with the wiring. She also had traded her fancy dress for a stained flannel shirt and black leather pants. Her shop was also a mess. Gadgets and strange inventions lined the shelves. Stacks of nails, boards of wood and sheets of metal, spools of wire, and boxes of gears lined the walls in organized chaos. Her shop was kinda small, but it was stuffed to the max with her work. Currently, the horseless carriage, which Natalie called a 'car', was in the far corner, partly covered by a tarp.

Natalie heard the bell on the door ring as someone entered. "I'm sorry, but we're closed," Natalie said from under the car. She often worked late hours on her inventions.

"Oh, but I didn't come to buy something," said a man's voice. It sounded proper and educated, unlike most of the townspeople in this area.

Natalie rolled out from underneath the car on the wheeled low cart she had crafted and got up. She saw an elderly, bearded cowboy standing in the middle of the shop, watching her.

"We're closed for repairs too," she said, scratching at a new stain on her flannel shirt.

The cowboy chuckled. "I don't think we are quite on the same page. I came here for _you_."

Natalie froze, creeped out by this strange man. "Um, I'm sorry, but have we met?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cowboy Queue. I came here because of a prophecy."

Natalie took a sharp breath. Cowboy Queue! He was known throughout the land for helping found this very town! He was the current mayor's brother, and used to be sheriff. He did many other things, but she couldn't remember them all at this moment. "Um, prophecy?" she stammered.

Cowboy Queue pulled out an ancient looking scroll from his coat, unrolling it. "This here prophecy states that in this very age, a terrible evil will try to take over this great county. In order to stop it, eleven individuals must unite the social classes and the whole town, leading them into battle against the enemy. Each of these individuals have different talents, one being 'she has gifts with gears and nails greater than that of any man, and the strength of the flowing rivers runs within her.' I believe that refers to you."

Natalie blinked slowly. All of those achievements must've got to this man's head. He's surely gone insane! "I'm not quite following," Natalie said awkwardly, "it's only a story, isn't it?" Behind her back, she grabbed a heavy hammer. Who knows how crazy this man will get!

Queue sighed. "There's no need for the hammer, Natalie. I'm not insane."

Natalie dropped it, pale and wide-eyed.

"Now, as I was saying, this isn't just a story. I know it's real, and I sense it's unfolding as we speak. You must join the foretold Wild Roundup if you want to save this town and country."

"Uh...I-I can't..."

"You have time to think about it. After all, I still need to find the other ten. But please, Natalie, take it into consideration. I can't force you to join. But realize, that if you join, you'll be saving countless lives, as well as your own." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Cowboy Queue turned back around. "Um," Natalie started awkwardly, "if what you say is true, and if the others agree to join, um, I guess I'm in."

Queue smiled. "I knew you would do the right thing. I'll see you soon, hopefully with the rest of the Wild Roundup behind me." With that, he turned back around and left.

Natalie sighed, and sagged against the car. _I have no idea as to what I just agreed to._ Wanting to take it all off her mind, she crawled back under the car and continued her tedious work.

* * *

 **I personally think that part with Kyle and Tessa was the most fun to write so far. XD Anyways, please leave a review as we love feedback, and until next time have a fantastic week! ;)**


	6. Stalkin!

Chapter Six: Stalkin'!

 **This is very interesting. Kendra and I found that we can legit type a bunch of musical 'ss'es to the tune of** _ **Let it Go**_ **and get six-hundred more views from that than we would from an actual thought out and typed out story. Ya know where this is going. Cue the sad violin music! *mmmuuuuussssiiicc!* XD Yep, no reviews or anything to reply to, but hey, let's not get discouraged! After all, peeps still like our remastered Disney rip-offs! XD So let's continue with this story and just see what happens! :) And what is this playing, ballet music? I need a new editing playlist! XD**

 **Extra note: This chapter is two days late due to technical difficulties. And to think I had this up and ready to post right on Saturday...the one time! XD**

* * *

"These people seem so stalker-ish!" Lloyd exclaimed suddenly.

"How come you keep interrupting, sausages?" Wu said with a drawn-out sigh.

"Well, Lloyd does have a point," Ivy put out. "How do these characters know where the others live?"

"Perhaps we will cross that bridge when we get there," Sensei replied, taking a sip of his tea.

"I believe that's not a very suitable answer," Zane said.

"Oooo…Zane's gone savage!" Ivy commented with a sly smile.

"Probably learns from the best," Tia said, brushing off her sleeves.

Zane blinked in confusion. "I don't think I comprehend. A savage is defined as 'someone who is fierce, violent, and uncontrolled' and I don't think I showed such qualities in the past few minutes…"

Ivy waved a hand through the air. "It's a saying; don't worry about it."

"And as for crossing the bridge, young sausage," Sensei Wu continued, "I meant that we will find out later, and there is a bridge."

"Oh."

Kai then asked, "So, how's there a bridge if there ain't any lakes or rivers mentioned, y'all?"

"Well, that Qu guy said something about a flowing river," Nya suggested.

"But, it wasn't an actual river, y'all."

"I'm looking this up!" she said as she took out her phone and turned it on.

Sensei cleared his throat impatiently. "I said to put your phone away."

Nya slowly turned her phone off, sighing, then put it back down on the coffee table.

"As I was saying..."

* * *

"Really, y'all, it's my first day and they decide to put me on the night guard," Jason complained.

Mongwau shrugged. "Ya gotta learn sometime, y'all!" He petted his owl. "At least we got Fluffers to keep us company!"

Jason gave Mongwau a strange look. "Rrrright..."

He and Mongwau were put on night watch by the resistance leaders. They stood just inside by the old townhouse's front door, which was locked with numerous locks. They were to let in any members who gave the right password and keep an eye out for any trouble. Jason had been just hoping to catch up on lost sleep when he was suddenly approached by Cam and told he was on guard duty with Mongwau. _Just my luck_.

There was a silence. Mongwau, not one to stay quiet, burst out, "Guess what, y'all?"

Jason let out an exasperated sigh. "What?"

Mongwau smiled mischievously. "Me and Fluffers here overheard a top-secret resistance meetin'!"

Jason straightened up, suddenly interested. "Wait, really? When? What did they say?"

"I said I wouldn't tell anyone," Mongwau said, arms crossed.

"Oh," said Jason, disappointed, "alrighty then."

A minute passed, and then Mongwau couldn't hold it in any longer. "We're gonna attack the government, y'all!" Fluffers let out a hoot of protest as Mongwau jumped, fist in the air.

"Okay, well, when?" Jason wasn't entirely convinced.

"I don't know, y'all, but I think very soon!" Mongwau sounded excited, but Jason wasn't. _I was hoping to find out more 'bout this place before I risk my life for 'em!_ he thought.

He was just about to ask how the resistance planned to overthrow Ninjhaven's secure government when he saw two shadows in the torchlight slipping around the corner of the hallway vertical to the shadowy entryway they were standing in.

"Hey, Mongwau," he said in a loud whisper, cutting off Mongwau's babbling. "Someone's over there."

Mongwau turned and looked where Jason was gesturing. Two shapes, unmistakably people, were sneaking out from the direction of the prison and down the left T in the hallway.

"I think those are the prisoners, y'all!" Mongwau whispered. "They must've escaped somehow! Let's track 'em down!"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Ya sure they ain't just other resistance fighters?"

Mongwau rolled his eyes like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "No one 'cept us guards are crazy enough to be up this late. Come on, partner, let's get 'em!"

They silently stalked-

* * *

"More stalking!" exclaimed Lloyd.

"Don't interrupt the parts with Jason, Lloyd," said Jay. "He's my favorite character!"

Tia snorted. "He sounds like a jerk to me!"

"SAUSAGES!" Sensei Wu exclaimed, quieting Jay before he could speak. "Silence, PLEASE!"

* * *

They silently stalked the figures down the hallway, keeping close behind them.

"Are they dangerous?" Jason whispered.

"Nah. They're just ole school teachers. The girl is the mayor's daughter. We're holding her hostage."

Jason nodded. "Well, what's the plan, y'all?"

"This 'allway is just lined with rooms and such. It ends with the meetin' room, which is now locked. So we keep an eye on 'em till we reach the end, and then capture 'em. Easy, peasy, y'all!"

* * *

John and Clara were quickly walking down the hallway. _There has to be an exit,_ thought John as he was looking around at all the doors.

The hallway was dark besides the lanterns lining the walls every few yards. John could see the dust floating around in the stale air. The floor was made of a rigid wood and would squeak every now and then. There were lots of doors too lining the hallway. Then, they saw a door at the very end of the hall.

They both went up to it, thinking it was the exit. John was about to try to open it, until he heard something. It almost sounded like an owl call, but, why would there be an owl down here?

He and Clara turned around to find two men in traditional resistance colors, one a brunet and the other with auburn hair, and an owl standing there. Well, the owl was on the brunet man's shoulder.

"So that is why I hear owl calls every now and then," John said, trying to keep his cool.

"We ain't here for conversation," The brunet with the owl said. "Now, go back in the cell before we make ya. There's an easy way, and then there's the 'ard way, y'all!"

"Why? What right do you have to do that?"

"Don't ask that!" The other auburn-haired man said before the first could start again. "We could be here for hours! Anyways, the cut version is that you're on our property, y'all. And, yer prisoners here, not guests."

"Well, we should be going then." said Clara while trying to open the locked door.

"That's the meeting room."

Clara blushed a little, and after regaining her composure, tried walking around the two men. The one with the owl grabbed her wrist and said, "I never said y'all could leave."

Clara ripped her wrist free and replied, "Well... you can't stop me."

"I believe I can, y'all!" Then he took her arm and John's and he tried to pull them back in the direction of the prison. John and Clara both struggled to break free from his vice-like grip. "Grant," he called back to the other man, "I need your 'elp 'ere!"

Grant came over and took John off the first guy's hands.

John thought for a second before saying anything, then realized where he recognized the name. "You're Jason Grant, the wanted bandit, right?"

"Well, I _was_." Jason replied tersely. "Now I'm here."

The four of them (well, five, if you included the owl) started walking down the hallway, then the other resistance guy asked, "Do ya know who I am?"

"No," John replied calmly.

"Well, I'm Mongwau, and this here is Fluffers!" He raised the shoulder with the owl on it. "And just 'cause it feels like a long walk, I'll tell y'all how I got in the resistance! It all started when I was-"

"Oh, look!" Jason cut him off, "We're here! Such a shame that we had to miss out on yer life story!"

The cell's door was right in front of them, and John felt a wave of disappointment on the wasted escape attempt. He and Clara had no fighting experience what-so-ever, and that came back to haunt them now more than ever.

"I wasn't gonna say meh life story, but that's not a bad idea..." Mongwau said, tapping his chin.

"Well, we don't have time for that! We need to get back to guarding the front door."

After that, Clara and John were roughly pushed back into the cell, and this time the two rebels made sure the door was locked securely behind them.

"Till next time, y'all!" Mongwau said, and his owl let out a farewell hoot as he and Jason began to walk away.

"So much for that plan," Clara said sadly after Mongwau, Fluffers, and Jason left.

"I'm fully confident we will achieve another means of escape," John said, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "There has to be another…" John then trailed off, looking curiously at the window.

"What's wrong?"

"I sense an evil presence beyond the window."

They both looked out and saw the strangest floating green lights…

* * *

As night approached, Tessa and Kyle made their way back to the farm. Kyle pushed the wheelbarrow filled with stolen possessions to sell the next day, while Tessa carried bags of money, diamonds, and other expensive items.

"I have the most money I ever had in my entire life, y'all!" Kyle said excitedly.

"Hey, I get half of the money and diamonds!" Tessa reminded. "After tomorrow y'all be rich enough for life!"

Kyle looked over her skeptically. "And what about you? What are y'all doing with your money?"

"I give it to the bandit leader, Robert Shadow," Tessa explained with a shrug. "We steal a certain amount or more of wares, then bring it back. We getta keep ten percent of it. In exchange for our work, we receive food, shelter, and protection. Don't get me wrong, y'all, us bandits still don't trust each other, but we pledge not to attack one another. In this crumbling town, if you not in a group, y'all have a big chance of gettin' killed."

Kyle shuddered. "I'm not in a group, and I'm doin' just fine!"

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Yah, that's why your farm's supposed to be taken away. Admit it, y'all be a complete loser, literally, if it wasn't for me!"

Kyle snorted, but didn't argue.

Soon they reached the faded farmhouse, just as it began to get dark. It was quiet besides the occasional cow moo and chicken cluck.

"Here," Tessa threw the bags of money at Kyle. "I'll take the jewels and wares with me and sell 'em in the black market tonight. We'll split it later. In the meantime, keep that money safe, y'all!" She looked over at one of the horse stalls. "Tomorrow y'all can sell one of those horses..."

"Whoa! Never, y'all! These horses are my family!"

Tessa gave Kyle a blank look. "Uh, they're horses."

"Exactly!"

Tessa glared at him. "Tomorrow y'all sellin' one of those thangs whether ya like it or not!" She turned around to leave. "See ya tomorrow, y'all."

"But I said I ain't-" Kyle looked back, but Tessa had already disappeared. "Urg, these bandits and their sneaky business!"

* * *

"The espritssss reported that the town issss already divided. We'll be in and out of that place in lesssss than a day, I think. Then the resssst of the country, and then-"

"Quiet, Bagtha. Babbling issssss a wasssste of time and energy."

Bagtha dipped her head in apology. "Ssssorry, Sssoul Ssstealer."

Soul Stealer nodded, back facing her. "Any defencsssse enforcssssement we ssshould be aware of?"

There'sss the mayor and his followersss, and some resisssstance. Other than that, no."

"And Cowboy Queue, what of him? I can't have him messssssing up my planssss like lasssst time."

"We're working on it. There are more esssspritsss on hisss trail assss we ssspeak."

"Good, very good. You may go, Bagtha."

She bowed, then walked back to the hidden desert camp.

Soul Stealer stood in the desert's cold breeze, deep in thought. Then he turned around, red eyes flashing dangerously. "Queue may have sssstopped me lasssst time, but that wassss fifteen years ago. While he'ssss getting weaker, I'm getting sssstronger. I'm taking back what'ssss mine. And nothing'ssss going to stop thissss zarthlu."

* * *

 **Took six chapters, but now we finally are introduced to the enemy! XD Ah, ah, ah, HAM! (don't ask XP) Anyways, hope y'all have an amazin' week! And please review! Even if it's in musical 'ss'es! XD**


	7. Oh Sweet Bribery

Chapter Seven: Oh Sweet Bribery

 **Hmm, what to ramble about for this author's note…*Jeopardy music* Uh, I've gots nothing. And I rarely have gots nothing. XD But I am starring at that dark-ish splotch where I dripped some black paint on the carpet. And its permanent! Next time, I'm using colored pencils! Anyways, to the reviews! (:**

 **Willow Julien: Thanks! And yah, I heard of MNC's stuff before, though I never read it. Kendra told me about it though. I guess instead of Kai being with some girl, in our version he has his horses and cows. And chickens. And of course, his baaarn caaats! Wait, did our story mention that yet? Well, it's mentioned in this chapter, so…yah. XD**

 **Anonymous7: Oh, that's totally okay! We both think it's awesomely amazing that you keep reviewing as much as you do! :) And as for the ah, ah, ah, HAM! thing, Kendra and I made this Lego stop motion a long time ago in which Zane was saying everything backwards and was…an evil painter for some reason. XD So when he did the evil laugh of Mah, ha, ha, ha! it came out as ah, ah, ah, HAM! Emphasis on the "ham". XD And yas, the popcorn scene was so fun to write! XD And I'm still working my way through season seven, but I just watched 71 and was so hyped to see Skylor…and then that hype was instantly crushed. Like, no Skylor! You can do so much better than being stuck in a Noodle shop! And so much better than Kai, for that matter…XD And the Lego Ninjago Movie? Well, Kendra are cringing and laughing at the trailer at the same time, but…Idk! The ninja all look so different, and oh, don't get me started on Misako! That's a whole different debate! But yah, we definitely are looking forward to seeing it, even if it's just to scrutinize and make fun of every detail. XD**

* * *

Henry Porter knocked on Mayor Green's office door. True to the name in all his decorating, the mayor's door was stained a deep green. The young assistant stood outside the door, waiting patiently. A few moments later, a muffled voice came from inside saying, "Come in."

Henry opened the door and stepped inside. Mayor Green's office was the definition of spic and span, with the bookshelves lining the walls organized carefully so every book was perfectly aligned with each other. The floor was made with mahogany wood polished to a shimmering shine, and the walls were, of course, painted a deep forest green. The mayor sat behind his matching mahogany desk, signing some papers. He was a middle-aged man with graying brown hair and piercing green eyes. He glanced up, and seeing Henry standing there, took a deep breath and carefully lined up the papers and tapped them in a neat stack on the desk. Then he carefully set them aside, aligning his pen vertically from them. He folded his hands professionally on the desk and asked, "Have you found anything about where my daughter and John Jameson are?"

"We think there being held captive by the resistance. That would be the most reasonable answer," Henry answered carefully, fidgeting with the cuffs of his jacket.

Mayor Green frowned. "You aren't certain, and it's been two days?" Frustration and warning crept into his voice, though his expression remained neutral. "I am sure that I could have put that together myself, Mr. Porter. Do you have anything I might not know already?"

Henry winced, figuring that the mayor wouldn't be satisfied with that information. "Well, the resistance wants to overthrow you, so this could well be a distraction to give them the opportunity to attack."

"I also can put that together." Ninjhaven's mayor gave Henry an unimpressed glare. "But if that is the case, then make sure our security here in town hall is strong and fortified. But only as much as is needed. We need a lot of our defense force to go to the resistance's hideout and destroy their operations. After all," Mayor Green smiled slyly, "we have inside help they don't know about. We must attack them first while we have this opportunity."

Henry nodded in agreement, but still bit his cheek nervously.

Mayor Green eyes narrowed. "Did I not give you instructions?"

Henry blinked in realization. "Oh, yes, sorry sir. I'm on it." The young assistant quickly slipped out the heavy green door and closed it carefully behind him.

The mayor sighed and reached for his stack of papers once more. _The resistance has gone on long enough! I say we need proper order,_ he thought purposely. He looked down at the papers, reading through the reports. He looked over to grab his pen, and then saw something shadowy out of the corner of his eye. He looked up and flinched in surprise when he saw the cloaked figure in front of him. The figure was clad in all black and hooded, but Mayor Green could make out his glowing red eyes and sickly pale skin. He felt a chill snake up his spin.

Mayor Green cleared his throat, trying to keep a calm composure. "What is your business here, and who are you?" he demanded.

"Well," the shadowy figure said in a hissing voice with an evil smile on his face, "I am Ssssssoul Sssstealer and I couldn't help but overhear that you want order."

The mayor shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "That's true," he responded cautiously. "And what about this interests you?"

Soul Stealer didn't lose his wicked smile. "I have a propossssssition," he said slyly, leaning over the desk. Mayor Green leaned back in discomfort. "I believe I can help you with this lack of dissssssorder. And I know, that you know, you can't bring order yoursssself. I will help you, 'clean up thisss town' ssso to ssspeak, on one condition!"

Mayor Green blinked slowly in thought. He just met this… _thing_ , but something did tell him that this creepy figure was being honest, and really could bring order and control if he wanted to. After all, it obviously wasn't completely human.

The mayor exhaled very slowly, then folded his hands on the desk once more. "I'm listening…"

* * *

"Just give me one more day, y'all, and I'll pay you all the bills I owe!" The man was practically trembling in his rickety house's doorway.

Lawrence glared at him. "I gave you an extra five days last time you said that. And you still haven't paid."

The man swallowed. "Well, y'all see, the mines haven't been very successful lately and therefore I didn't get a lot of pay-"

"Sorry," Lawrence said, shaking his head, "but you should've been better prepared."

Government officials pushed the rest of the family out of the house, including four sobbing children. They sealed the door shut and nailed a paper notice on it. The family watched, terrified.

"Come on," the man said to his family, hopelessness in his voice, "maybe Aunt Sally can take us in tonight." The family picked up their meager possessions, and walked away down the dusty street.

Lawrence watched them go, biting his lip. The mines, another desperate idea to try and bring more money and jobs in this town, had failed miserably. _What we need is a factory_ , he thought. The economy was collapsing, and Lawrence knew it. If they didn't come up with an idea to bring in money, the town would be doomed.

"We just got a message saying the Murphy family owes over five hundred in back taxes," an official said, breaking Lawrence from his thoughts. "Let's pay them a visit next."

Lawrence took a deep breath, then nodded. "Let's do this."

* * *

"This story is kinda depressing," Mac said suddenly, looking bored with his chin resting in his hand.

"I like depressing stories," Cole said energetically. "They make me feel good about myself!"

Mac stared at him.

"It wasn't uncommon for towns to face economic collapse at this time," Zane commented logically. "There was a severe drought going on, and crops were their main product. Not being able to grow crops, towns had to find other means by which to bring in money."

"You lost me, y'all," said Kai, looking confused.

"As I was saying, sausages," continued Wu, "let's go back to my tale."

* * *

Sheriff Caleb Brown was patrolling the market on his jet-black mare. It was a normal day, with lots of people browsing among the twenty-seven stands, along with one guy who just sat on a wooden crate with a wheelbarrow full of hay. Caleb decided to leave and ride his horse around a different part of town. This part looked peaceful enough.

As he was leaving, something caught his eye. Or, rather, someone. He caught her stealing a ring from a jewelry stand, snatching it while the owner of the vendor was talking to a wealthy looking man. He carefully rode up behind her and said, eyes narrowed, "I believe you have to pay for that, _Tessa Taylor_."

She froze and turned around to see the him starring her down on his black horse. Instead of the reaction you'd normally expect from a criminal just caught red-handed, she crossed her arms and asked, "Why does everyone say meh name like that, y'all?"

Caleb swiftly took out his pistol and aimed it right at her. "Put your hands up, before you regret it!"

Tessa glared at him and slowly raised one hand.

"I said both!" Caleb said in an angry tone.

Tessa sighed and rose both, dropping the ring and other small shiny things she picked up earlier.

Caleb hopped off his horse and took out some handcuffs from his pocket, pistol not wavering in its mark. Tessa stared at the cuffs, wondering at how the clucky handcuffs fit in his pocket.

"Turn around," Caleb commanded with a small flick of his pistol.

Tessa raised her eyebrows suggestively. "And just why should I do that, y'all?"

Caleb glared at her, not amused. "Turn around," he commanded again bluntly.

Tessa sighed and slowly turned around. Caleb came up behind her, and, taking hold of her wrists, proceeded to cuff her.

Thinking fast, Tessa aimed a kick at his knee. But, when she swung her foot backwards, all she hit was air.

"I've been around bandits long enough to know their little tricks," Caleb said from her right. "Next attempt like that and I'll put a bullet in your back." Tessa felt the nozzle of the pistol being pressed against her for emphasis.

Tessa sighed angrily as Caleb finished fastening the metal cuffs on her wrists. He walked to her front and took away her small silver pistol and long knife from their holsters on her belt, throwing them into a saddle bag on his horse. Caleb then pulled out a length of rope and tied the end of it to her cuffed wrists as well. "Looks like we finally caught you. Hope you're excited to see your new temporary home at the prison."

Tessa scowled, hiding the panic building up inside her. "Just don't put me in the same cell as Garbage-Grant!"

Caleb finished tying the rope, and, the end of it in hand, hopped back onto his horse. His face was grim. "So, you haven't heard?"

"What?" Tessa looked over at him curiously.

"He and a couple others were broken out by the resistance; we ended up losing some guards when it happened." Caleb glared down at her with warning. "But don't get too excited. Them and the rest of the resistance are going to be thrown back into prison and hanged for their crimes before you know it."

Nevertheless, Tessa felt excitement race through her. _Then it shouldn't be too hard to escape unnoticed if I didn't hear anything 'bout this before. Besides, Mr. Depressing-hater-of-life here doesn't know I still have a knife in my boot…_

* * *

Kyle sat up in surprise when he saw Tessa go by, cuffed and bound, being prodded along in front Sheriff Brown's horse. The sheriff looked very full of himself, having caught the two most famous bandits in the same week.

Tessa locked eyes with Kyle. With a violent jerk, she sent a jingling bag tumbling out of her vest pocket. Making sure the sheriff wasn't looking, she kicked it toward him with a glare that said, _I'll be coming back for that!_ Then she and the sheriff disappeared from sight around a corner.

Kyle looked cautiously around, then scooped up the bag and opened it, shaking his head. It was filled with tiny pure gold nuggets. _How does she steal this stuff?_

He knew there was nothing he could do for Tessa. After all, she was a thief long before they met, and was still a criminal for that. He gathered up the gold and the rest of his wares, and began making his way back to the farm, hoping Tessa wouldn't do anything stupid that would get herself killed sooner than the government's execution department planned.

* * *

Clara and John both stared wide-eyed at the two glowing, sickly green orbs floating outside their prison window. They seemed to be making strange hissing sounds, as if communicating to each other. Then they flew away out of sight.

Clara took a shaky breath. "What were those things?"

John shrugged, not looking too concerned. "They look like the same things that were described in the old campfire stories. Esprits, I think they were called."

"You mean those evil spirits? John, those are just stories! It had to be a trick of the light, someone playing a prank, or _something_. Not a fictional monster come true."

"Not necessarily fictional. Some people have reported seeing orbs like this around town recently. Authorities didn't believe them, of course."

"And _you're_ saying _you_ do?"

Before John could answer, they were interrupted by a commotion in the hallway. Wordlessly, they pressed themselves against the door, trying to make out what was going on.

"Whoa, slow down, partner! What were ya saying?" It sounded like the guy who identified himself as Smithereens.

An unfamiliar out-of-breath female voice replied, "I overheard the mayor's plans. His troops on their way here right now, and they want to finish us off once and for all!"

"But Irene, that's impossible! They can't know where our hideout is, unless..."

"Unless what, y'all?" asked what sounded like Jason.

"Unless," continued Smithereens, "someone betrayed us!"

Clara and John heard a sharp intake of breath from the group and an owl hoot.

"We need to find this double-crosser!" said another feminine voice. "Who knows what information he or she will give the mayor!"

"Me and Fluffers here agree, y'all!" Mongwau cheered.

"We need to gather everyone up first and escape through our underground tunnels," said Irene. "Then we can worry about it."

"All in favor, y'all?" Smithereens asked.

There was a chorus of "Ayes," and then a thud, like a fist hitting a wall.

"Then let's go!" Smithereens said. Someone gave a frustrated groan, and then Clara and John heard them splitting ways.

Clara turned back around to face John. "Did you hear that? My father is on his way!" She was relieved and anxious at the same time.

"But I'm sure the resistance will take us with them to use as a bargaining chip in case they get caught. They will need to find out about the tunnels in order to rescue us," John said calmly with brutal honesty.

Then Clara had an idea. She went to a dusty corner of the cell, bent down, and wrote a single word in the dust with her finger: Tunnels.

"There," she said, standing back up. "They will definitely be searching this cell for clues, and when they see that, they'll know to look for hidden passages."

Just then, a young women with long black hair pulled into two loose braids and stormy grey eyes opened the cell, twirling two pairs of handcuffs in one hand and a pistol in the other. "Up against the wall," she commanded, "you're coming with us."

* * *

Cowboy Queue rode his tall white stallion down an old country road towards the farm house he believed was the one the prophecy mentioned, the one that was home to the second member of the foretold Wild Roundup. He turned the corner around a cluster of dried up trees and squinted at the farmhouse in the distance. As he drew closer, Queue noticed how untended it looked, with weeds taking over the browning flower bed and the red paint peeling on the barn and house. Yep, this was the one!

Cowboy Queue walked up to the house's cracked white door and knocked on its wobbling surface. He heard someone yell from inside in a strong southern accent, "I still have one more day, y'all!"

Queue replied, "I believe you're thinking of the wrong person."

A moment later, the door opened and a man came out. He was wearing your average cowboy clothes with a red flannel and buckskin pants, and his hat was covering his messy brown hair. He looked Queue up and down with distaste and asked, "What do ya want?"

Queue observed this young man and answered, "Well, I am here because of a prophecy. It states that eleven characters will help defeat the great evil about to come to this humble town of Ninjhaven. I came because you are one of them."

The farmer raised an eyebrow, "And yer proof...?"

Cowboy Queue held out the scroll to the man. He took it, scanned over it, then looked back up at Queue.

"That's the thang, y'all," the man said, annoyed. "I can't read. But I can tell ya now, if I could, I still wouldn't believe et!" He tossed the scroll back to Queue and crossed his arms.

"Well, Kyle, I think you should. After all, the fate of the world depends it."

Even though Queue had said his name without being told what it was, Kyle still wasn't convinced. "Well, I've lived perfectly fine by mehself with meh horses and meh barn cats!"

"The fire is great within, I can see."

Kyle looked Queue straight in the eyes, confused. "What does that mean?"

"The element of fire has great power for forging will and determination. Mentally it translates into personal drive, intention and desire. It-"

"Ya lost meh," Kyle interrupted.

"Never mind that," Queue said with a sigh. "Just know that the scroll describes one 'who resides where everyone else has already left, and has a temper like a raging fire and unwavering determination even when he really should just give up'. I believe that would be you it's describing. Would you like to join?"

"Probably not."

"Just know, you'd be saving many lives and if you don't, the Wild Roundup will never be full and all will fall to the evil."

"What exactly is this 'evil' y'all keep mentionin'?"

"If you agree to join, I will tell you. If not, you will find out when they take over."

"You're bribin' me now."

"It is the truth."

Kyle sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll a-join y'alls little club. But I betta get somethin' outta et."

"Excellent. Meet me at the White Barn tomorrow at 11:00." Queue said, starting to walk over to where his white stallion stood waiting.

"Wait!" Kyle called. Cowboy Queue turned around to look back at Kyle. "Who else is in this?"

Queue simply answered, "Patience is a virtue."

Kyle kicked the doorframe in frustration and went back into the farmhouse, slamming the door behind him.

Queue jumped on his horse and began to ride back towards civilization. _Two down, nine to go._

* * *

 **That marks the end of chapter seven, y'all! XD Please leave a review and have an amazing week! And wow, is July almost over already?! Nnnnnooooo! Summer is going by way too fast!**


	8. Motivational Speeches

Chapter Eight: Motivational Speeches

 **Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What is this rock music playing? From ballet to this? Well, sometimes it's best just not to ask. XD Ergh, my foot just fell asleep! I don't know why I always sit on the floor when I have a perfectly good swivel chair right in front of me, but, eh, sitting like a normal person is well, for normal people! XD Now, onward to chapter eight!**

 **OliviaTheDragon: Yas! XD I want to try it on my own brothers, but they're the kind to just give me a weird look, then completely ignore me for the rest of the day. X) Although, Kendra and I sometimes sing Wu's dinner gathering song at sleepovers before getting something to eat. "Come, my saus-ages! Gather 'round the taaa-ble!" Yah, that's it. One line. It's a work-in-progress. XD**

 **Anonymous7: Yep, Mayor Green has no idea what he's getting into! XD I mean, trusting those green things? Kale's green, and no one likes eating kale! Or at least, no one** _ **enjoys**_ **it, I think. And boiled kale…*shudders* And what about those green salty pea things? *googles it* Ah-ha! Capers! Those things! Yah, those things are…very questionable. XD And now I'm rambling about vegetables. I think either cabbage or carrots have to be my favorites, the classics. What about you? X)** _ **Random-ness**_ **. And so you make stop-motions too? Cool! Oh, and we don't have a YouTube account, but we almost wanted to get one just to post our most recent stop-motion that is a spoof on the whole Wu Cru vid. It involves Wu singing 'Go You Chicken Fat, Go' while the ninja go through the exercises. XD And yeah, we need to see more of Skylor in the show! Kendra and I always give her a bigger part in our fanfics; I remember we were so excited when pics of her were first leaked so long ago. And thank you so much! :)**

* * *

At the resistance hideout, the escape procedure was in full effect. The resistance leaders and night watch were ushering everyone in the hideout towards the underground escape tunnel, which was hidden behind a ripped banner in the meeting room.

"Is that all of em, y'all?" Cam Smithereens shouted above the chaos.

"No, we're still waiting for Irene to come with the prisoners!" Stephanie Stormer yelled back.

Cam turned to Mongwau and Jason. "Mongwau, go with the rest of the resistance and guard the rear. Jason, go find Irene."

Mongwau saluted eagerly, pushed aside the crooked banner, and ran off into the dark tunnel entryway. But Jason just crossed his arms.

"Why do I always get the 'ard work?" he asked angrily.

"'Cause yer the rookie," said Cam pointedly. "Rookies do the work no one else wants to do."

Jason glared at him and was about to go searching when Irene burst through the meeting room's wide door, shoving the cuffed Clara Green and John Jameson in front of her.

"Found 'em," Jason said, smiling smugly.

Cam rolled his eyes, and turned to Irene. "What took ya so long?"

Irene blew a stay piece of hair out of her face and forced the prisoners more forward with her pistol. "These prisoners weren't exactly... what's the word... _cooperatin'_." They both had makeshift gags in their mouths, and while Clara looked downright furious about it, John couldn't have been more unfazed.

Stephanie glared at Clara and John, then gestured towards the tunnel way. "Well, let's go. All of the others are already ahead of us."

Cam and Stephanie grabbed a lantern each and they went inside the dark tunnel.

 _Bang!_

The group froze, and turned around. They heard shouts and the sound of things being broken from the opposite direction.

"It's the mayor's cronies!" Cam exclaimed. "Quickly, y'all, close the door!"

Stephanie grabbed the wooden passageway door and slammed it shut as quietly as the rusty hinges would allow. The fraying banner fell smoothly in front of it, causing the cracks of light under the door to disappear and plunge the whole tunnel into darkness, besides the dim light from the two lanterns.

Clara struggled against her bonds. Irene pressed her pistol into the back of John's head. "Stop that foolin' 'round, or he gets et." Irene glared at John. "Same goes for ya too."

Clara narrowed her eyes, but stopped.

"Come on, y'all," said Cam, taking the lead. "We need to get outta here before we're discovered."

They traveled down the dark, musky tunnel with Cam in front, then Jason, behind him Irene and the prisoners, and then Stephanie bringing up the rear. It was quiet besides the steady dripping of muddy water coming from the ceiling. They traveled in silence till they stopped abruptly at a fork in the tunnel way.

"Shoot!" said Cam, kicking a chuck of dirt. "Which one did they go down?"

Irene came forward while Stephanie took charge of the prisoners and inspected both of the tunnels carefully. She came back, shaking her head. "They're both covered with water and mud. I couldn't tell."

"Greeaaat," said Jason sarcastically. "So, which do we take?"

Cam looked back and forth between the two, then pointed to the left tunnel. "The right one!" he exclaimed.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "Um, you're pointing at the left one."

"Then that one!" said Cam, pointing at the other one. He began to march down it. The other rebels looked at each other, shrugged, then followed after him, Clara and John in tow.

After thirty boring minutes of traveling, the tunnel ended abruptly around a corner with a rope ladder that led upward to a rickety trap door.

"I'm goin' up, y'all!" Cam climbed up the ladder and opened the trap door. It slammed on what sounded like a gravely dirt with a soft _clunk_.

"What's up there?" Stephanie called from below.

"Just some abandoned alleyway," Cam replied. "Come on up!"

One by one, they made their way up the ladder and out the trap door. Irene had un-cuffed the prisoners and pushed them up the ladder by the tip of her pistol. Once everyone was up, Cam closed the trap door, and they took in their surroundings.

They were standing in a darkening alleyway between two wooden buildings, probably less popular shops. There was nothing significant about the area, and besides a few piles of random rubbish, there was nothing interesting about the location. There was the sound of horses and people in the market not too far nearby.

"I think we went down the wrong tunnel," Jason said. "Maybe we should backtrack, y'all."

"No," said Irene, cuffing the gagged prisoners once again. "The chances of goin' down there and runnin' into the mayor's guards are too great. We'll just 'ave to find 'em some other way."

"Let's just find out where we are exactly, y'all," said Cam, walking out of the alley. "Then we can—oof!" He bumped right into an old bearded cowboy who was coming around the corner.

The cowboy stopped, looking at the group in front of him with a twinge of surprise on his face. Then, he _smiled_.

"I was looking for all of you," he said happily. "And there all of you are! That makes my job easier. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cowboy Queue. And you six are part of the prophecy."

* * *

"Okay, okay!" interrupted Lloyd, waving his hands through the air. "I get that the prophecy paper thing might have had their addresses or something, but the fact that he just _happens_ to be there when those specific characters are there! That just has 'stalker' written all over it! You know what? I just can't handle this story anymore!" After that rant, he stood up and left the room.

"He will return," said Sensei Wu without concern, taking another sip of his tea.

There was silence, until Zane broke it.

"I sense there is a reason behind this," the nindroid replied.

Sensei started saying, "Yes. And now, I will contin-"

Then, the door opened and Lloyd came waltzing back in with a slice of pizza and sat down.

"Pizza...?" Skylor asked with an eyebrow raised.

Lloyd nodded. "It helps."

"Where's the rest!?" asked Cole, hyped.

"I just found some leftovers in the fridge."

Cole jumped up instantly and made a beeline for the fridge.

Wu then cleared his throat. "Now, I will continue," he said, looking pointedly at Lloyd.

* * *

"Part of the what now?" Jason seemed confused and extremely creeped out at the same time.

"The prophecy, young one," Queue said, as if just commenting on the weather. "The six of you, along with five others, are destined to bring this town together and destroy the coming evil that threatens to bring this dear country to ruins."

"Uh, uncle?" Clara began to say. She had struggled out of her gag while the others were distracted. "You're not implying that we are to...to join forces, are you? As you can see, we're far from being on the same side."

Cowboy Queue nodded. "You're all from different social classes, different backgrounds. In order to unite this divided town, you must learn to unite yourselves."

"Is you're uncle here normally this nutty?" Cam asked Clara.

Clara glared at him. "He's not 'nutty'. And this is the first I've seen him in eight years!"

"What exactly is this evil?" Stephanie asked hastily.

"That will be discussed when the rest of the team is together," Queue responded. "You are asked to a meeting tomorrow at 11:00, at the White Barn. If all goes as planned, the rest of the team will be there."

"Who?" Irene demanded.

Cowboy Queue smiled mischievously. "You'll find out at the meeting."

"This is crazy, y'all!" Jason exclaimed. "We're not actually gonna do this, are we, y'all?"

"Tut, tut, tut." Cowboy Queue shook his head sadly. "Jason Grant, making assumptions faster than the lightning flashes. No wonder you were such a good thief."

Jason looked completely and utterly terrified.

Then Queue turned to each of the stunned people in turn. "Stephanie Stormer, one who can pick up any skill just by watching and memorizing the moves of others. Cameron Smithereens, whose ambition burns like a deep blue flame, powerful yet controlled. Clara Green, my niece, who knows the languages of many and can read other's emotions like a schoolbook. John Jameson, oblivious to the cold and as sharp-minded as a shard of ice. Irene Brown, master of stealth and able to hear what others can't. And of course, Jason Grant, fast as lightning and just as deadly to his enemies." He made a grand gesture at the group. "Together, along with the other five, you will make up the Wild Roundup, the only group capable of saving this town from thee impending doom. Should one of you be missing from this team, you will fall apart, but united, you shall rise victorious."

Everyone just stared at him, not knowing what to do.

"Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow." Cowboy Queue tipped his hat in farewell, and left.

"Um," Stephanie started, not really knowing what to say, "now what?"

"Maybe you can start with unbinding us," Clara offered.

The resistance members looked at each other, then shrugged. Irene unlocked the handcuffs and undid John's gag.

"Just remember, y'all," Irene said, fingering her pistol, "we're armed and yer not. So don't be tryin' anythang fancy."

Clara just looked heavenwards in annoyance at this reminder.

John rubbed his sore jaw. "May I suggest we start with finding shelter? Perhaps one of these abandoned buildings. Evening will soon be upon us."

Jason looked around. "I kinda recognize this place. Maybe we can find my ole hideout."

"Seems as good an idea as any," said Cam. "Lead the way, y'all."

* * *

Tessa glared at the dusty ground as hard as she could. She started out being prodded along in front of Caleb's horse, but, determined to make this as hard as possible for the stuck-up sheriff, she now lagged behind the mare, dragging her feet, and sometimes on softer grounds, let herself be dragged. Even through this, Caleb still rode sitting proudly upright in the saddle, and Tessa looked up to give his back the evil eye. _Ugh! Why's he so happy? Someone's goin' to jail!_ she thought with supreme irritation.

When they neared the sheriffs' headquarters, a moderately sized building made of well-kept dark oak wood with a few short trees growing neatly beside it, the horse came to an abrupt stop.

"What do you see, girl?" Caleb asked his horse, gently stroking her mane.

Tessa rolled her eyes. _As if the horse can talk!_

Caleb jumped down and peered at the headquarters about a quarter of a mile away, which Tessa only saw as the restricting prison it was. Just a few yards away from them, standing in the middle of the road between them and the prison, there stood an old cowboy, as if waiting for something. Or _someone._

Caleb shrugged, then got back on the horse. He urged her forwards, but she only gave a rebellious snort and didn't budge. He groaned and got back down. Grabbing the rope that dragged Tessa, he said, "My horse doesn't want to move forward apparently, so we're going by foot."

"I couldn't tell," Tessa replied sarcastically.

He pushed her towards the prison and they started walking.

* * *

Cowboy Queue was waiting for the sheriff and his newest prisoner. When he saw the horse, he squinted his eyes at it. The horse froze in its tracks obediently, looking nervously at the old cowboy. The two people came forward and Queue waited. He knew those were the ones.

When they approached him, Caleb started to walk around Queue, who then stepped in front of him.

Caleb cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me sir, but I believe you're in my way."

"Well, I am here because of a prophecy. You two," Queue looked at Caleb and Tessa, "are in in it, with nine others to make the Wild Roundup."

Caleb blinked. "Uh, I think you're mistaken. We don't know each other…" He trailed off, staring at Queue in sudden recognition. "Wait…you…are you Cowboy Q-"

"I don't care about whatever this little group is about; I ain't doin' anythang that includes _him_!" Tessa interrupted, glaring daggers at Caleb.

Cowboy Queue tutted at her. "Ah, Tessa Taylor, always planning every future move; the one with a sharp memory and able to make the most accurate predictions."

Tessa looked very confused. " 'Cuse me, buck-o, but I don't know y'all, so how do ya know me?"

Queue ignored her question and turned to Caleb. "And Caleb Brown, solid as rock and strong enough to move the largest."

The two just stood still for a few awkward, silent moments; Tessa looking downright dubious and Caleb looking very uncomfortable.

Queue then added, "So, will you join? I know this is fast, but you will be saving many lives."

Caleb looked as though he was sure he was having a crazy hallucination. "Saving lives? From what?"

"That is something to be discussed later."

Looking even more suspicious now, Tessa said with slitted eyes, "If I do join this little gang of yers, do I still have to go to prison?"

Queue shook his head.

"What?! There's nothin' left to ask, y'all! Heck yeah, I'll join!"

"Whoa, hang on!" Caleb objected. "I know you're famous and all that, but you can't just allow a known criminal to run free! You don't even have that kind of authority!"

"Wait, _famous_?" Tessa said, suspicion returning. "How are ya more famous than me in this town?"

"My name, is Cowboy Queue," Queue said dramatically.

"Oh, I've heard of y'all in those stories!"

"Yes, only those weren't just stories. They were real, which is what you are about to face."

Tessa gnawed on her lip, considering. "Last time I did somethin' crazy, I ended up stuck with him"—she gestured at Caleb with her elbow—"but if this gets me out of this mess and keeps me from gettin' into more, sign me up for this gang. Besides, if it's a prophesy, it'll be fulfilled like it says, right?"

"That was a wise choice," said Cowboy Queue, also avoiding this last question. "And Caleb?"

"Well," Caleb sighed, "if you said it was wise to say yes, then I guess I will. But—"

The elderly cowboy quickly interrupted him. "Very good. Now, you two will meet me at the White Barn tomorrow at 11:00, with everyone else."

"Who would that be?" Tessa asked, eyebrows raised.

"You'll see," Queue said simply. "Now, Caleb, I believe it is only right that you should now remove your fellow roundup member's bonds."

Caleb stared at him in disbelief.

Tessa looked at Caleb and said sassily, "Well, ya heard him! I'm not goin' to jail! Get these cuffs off!"

Caleb got out his keys, obviously very reluctantly. She was, after all, one of the worst bandits, and he was about to listen to this possibly half-crazed old cowboy and release her.

He unlocked the cuffs and stuffed them back in his pocket. "Now, I expect you to stay away from the market at all times and if I ever see yo—"

But Tessa had already zipped away before he could finish his threat.

Caleb groaned aloud. He turned back towards Queue, saying, "You know she's just going to keep stealing no matte—" But, just like Tessa, the famous cowboy had disappeared completely.

* * *

The wind swept through the desert outside Ninjhaven, stirring up a cloud of dust. In this small dust storm, a dark figure made his way to the cliff wall. He reached it, and disappeared into an impressively hidden cave carved into the rock.

The zarthlu made his way down the cave's corridor, passing groups of green orbs flying in and out.

"Welcome back, massster," said a voice behind him."Hassss the mayor agreed to our termsss and conditionsss?"

Soul Stealer smiled, and turned around to face the other zarthlu. "Yesss, Bagtha. We ssstart tonight."

Bagtha beamed wickedly. "Will I get to lead a sssquadron?"

"Yesss. You, Glaudon, and I will each lead one."

Bagtha suddenly looked concerned and annoyed all at once. "Glaudon? But he isss...he issss... _ssspecial._ "

"He'll have Ssspider to help him. Besidess, they're the only other zarthlus here."

Bagtha took a deep breath. "If you think it'sss a good idea, by all meansss, go ahead."

Soul Stealer nodded. "Go tell them to prepare their sssquadron. I have another... _errand_ to run."

Bagtha flashed a knowing smile, then left, walking towards the heart of the cave system.

Soul Stealer checked his quiver of arrows, making sure it was full, then left the cave. It was time to pay Cowboy Queue a visit.

* * *

 **Is it just me, or is Cowboy Queue a bit like Gandalf and Dumbledore mixed into one? XD Anyways, like always, please leave a review if you wish and have a superb week! ;)**


	9. Prophecies with Pizza

Chapter Nine: Prophecies with Pizza

 _ **Snuuuuufff out the juice! Claim your noodles! To a wooorld of Raaamen!**_ **XD Yep, singing about food. I love food, did I mention that yet? X) Anyways, here we are with chapter nine! I think this will be a bit of a shorter one, because I got to that awkward part where the next part would make it too long, but if you don't have that part it's kinda short, so…it's shorter. Laziness. XD**

 **Jens: Hello there! Or, should I say "howdy"? XD Thank you so much! We always try for interesting. :) Yah, some of the character comparisons are hard with the OCs we threw in there. I'll list all of them to make it easier for everyone:** Kyle **\- Kai,** Lawrence **\- Lloyd,** Jason **\- Jay,** John **\- Zane,** Caleb **\- Cole,** Stephanie **\- Skylor,** Natalie **\- Nya, (OCs)** Tessa **\- Tia,** Clara **\- Carol,** Cam **\- Mac,** Irene **\- Ivy. Oo! I almost forgot, on the bottom of our profile, we have our four OCs listed with very summarized descriptions too, if ya want to check that out. And yep, we gave Kai a southern/cowboyish/completely-random-for-amusement accent. XD It started a long time ago when Kendra and I were debating on the kind of accents each ninja would have if they had one, and Kai's crazy southern one just kinda…stuck. And yas, teacher robberies must be much unheard of in this town. XD**

* * *

"And here we are, y'all!" said Jason as they approached an old abandoned building, practically falling apart.

Irene scanned the crumbling building up and down, then looked over at him incredulously. "And, ya stayed here for how long…?"

Jason shrugged. "Dunno. I lost count."

John and Clara shared a look.

The group of six—Jason, Stephanie, John, Clara, Cam, and Irene—walked up to the door held on by only one hinge. Jason carefully pushed it open, and they ducked into the dark and musky ruin. They blinked in the sudden darkness.

"Uh…nice place," Cam whistled. "Very…"

"Unconventional?" Stephanie offered, still looking around the building. "Discreet? Clandestine? Inky?"

Cam stared at her. "Um, yah, I guess."

"How…how do you know all those terms?" Clara asked curiously. "I thought, well, um…"

"We rebels aren't all uneducated folk off the streets," Stephanie said, putting a few more rounds in her pistol and looking around the darkness with unease. "That's a stereotype. Though, I can't say there aren't any like that in the resistance…" she trailed off, shooting a look at Cam.

He glared back. "What's that 'posed to mean, y'all?"

Stephanie and Irene now shared a look. "Nothin'," Irene said, smiling knowingly.

"Hey, why ya still standin' there?" Jason called from across the room. "I keep all my supplies in this room…" He opened a wobbly door and he and the others jumped when inside they saw three floating green orbs. They were floating around the closet, and around them knifes and other things were floating, as if they were gathering them up with some weird telekinetic magic. Then, seeming to notice the six, the three orbs flared bright green and began to make strange hissing noises. Jason instantly slammed the door shut, almost making it fall off.

"My closet's haunted!" Jason cried, backing away from the door. "An' I'm not interested in fightin' somethin' that's supposed to be dead! Let's get outta here!"

The others didn't argue. They quickly rushed out of the building and stood outside the falling-off door, puzzling all of it out.

"More esprits," John stated a matter-a-factly.

"What?" Cam asked in confusion.

"Those lights are evil spirits, call esprits. There have been more reports recently about their sightings around the town. This is actually the second time Clara and I have seen them."

"What do they do?" Cam obviously had never heard of them until now. He looked back at the one-hinged door apprehensively.

"I've heard that they stalk ya," said Irene in a creepy foreboding tone. "Then they bring y'all to their master, and you're turned into one of them."

"Maybe we should get a good distance away from here..." Clara suggested.

"I'm messing with ya!" Irene said laughing, "Y'all should have seen yer faces!"

Clara rolled her eyes.

"Look, there's more over there!" Stephanie whispered urgently.

Sure enough, a group of five esprits had just turned a corner onto the cracked street and were seemingly heading straight toward them.

"Oh snap." Jason paled. "Um…" He looked around frantically till he spotted the narrow space between the two buildings they were in front of. "In here!"

The group dived into the narrow space just to see that it was a dead end. They looked back at the esprits. They were still coming towards them.

"That's just perfect, y'all!" Cam hissed. "Now we're even easier to pick off!"

He took out his pistol, and Irene, Stephanie, and Jason did the same while John and Clara pushed themselves up against the alley's wall.

"Get ready," Irene whispered, gritting her teeth.

Suddenly, the esprits stopped a few yards from the alley. The six tensed, not knowing what to expect. Then, from the other direction, they saw a dark, hooded figure walking towards the five esprits. For a second, the figure shot a look straight at the place where the six were hiding, but they continued towards the green orbs. The figure stopped, and then proceeded to tell the esprits something in a hissing voice.

"Now, let's go now while they're distracted!" Stephanie urged. They slipped out of the alley and then left down the nearby intersecting street.

When they were sure they were far away from the strange creatures, John said calmly, "I sense we need to find a different location."

Cam snorted. "Ya think?"

"Well, ya got that right, partner!" Jason exclaimed. "There's _no_ way I'm goin' back to that ghost town! Wait…" A goofy grin spread across his face. " _Ghost_ town? Get 'et?"

Everyone let out a groan, except for John, who simply nodded.

"I sense if we were in an area with more people around, there would be a lesser chance of crossing paths with esprits or any other unusual beings," he observed logically.

"Uh, we're kinda being hunted down by the government y'all. The center of town ain't the best place for us to stroll into right now," said Jason.

"I believe Clara and myself aren't being 'hunted down' in the sense you are thinking of. If we separate-"

"Uh-uh. Ya ain't escaping that easy, wise guy," Irene said, fingering her holster.

"So, any other ideas?" Stephanie asked.

"I got it!" exclaimed Cam, snapping his fingers.

"What?" Clara asked skeptically.

"Follow me!" he said, gesturing to come as he walked down another alleyway.

* * *

There was a sharp knock on Kyle's front door. He groaned and went to open it. Once again, Lawrence Green stood impatiently on his doorstep.

"Time's up. Do you have the money?" Lawrence gave Kyle his signature glare.

"Ugh, yes! I've got y'all's stupid money!" Kyle reached behind the door and brought out a huge bag of jingling money.

Lawrence blinked, surprised. Then his eyes narrowed. "And just _how_ did you manage to get all that money in such a short time?"

Kyle glared back at him. "I sold some stuff, got loans, made deals, y'all know, lots of 'ard work! Now just take it and get off my farm! Ya scarin' meh barn cats!"

"This better be the right amount! If not, _I'll be back_." Lawrence snatched up the money and turned to leave, wanting to get away from this weirdo. That's when he saw a figure on a horse making his way towards them down the country road.

"What?! Not again!" Kyle kicked the door frame.

"What...?" Lawrence stared at the distant figure, confused.

The figure got closer, and then dismounted. It was an old cowboy with a long, white beard, and Lawrence thought he looked kinda familiar...

"Uncle Queue?" he exclaimed, aghast. He hadn't seen his uncle in eight years, and he always figured Queue was off saving some other town. And now to find out he's been stalking him!

* * *

"I need more pizza!" Lloyd ran out of the room, heading towards the kitchen.

"And I could use some cake," Cole said, following him.

"Wait, where _is_ the pizza?" Lloyd said from the kitchen.

"Uh...I might have eaten the last five slices..."

"YOU STOLE MY PIZZA!"

Sensei Wu looked up at the ceiling, took a deep breath, and continued.

* * *

"Greetings, nephew," Cowboy Queue said casually. "I'm glad I finally caught up to you. You're the last one."

"First off, I'm in the middle of collecting taxes! And second, what do you mean, _last one_?"

"Last one in the prophecy. You-"

"WHAT?!"

Lawrence and Cowboy Queue turned around, just remembering that Kyle was still standing there.

"THERE IS NO WAY I'M TEAMING UP WITH _HIM_!" Kyle looked ready to explode. They could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears.

Queue sighed. "This is why I wanted introductions to wait till the meeting."

"Whoa, hold up!" said Lawrence, waving his arms. "What is this prophecy? And this thing about teaming up with _that_." He gestured at Kyle.

"You, and ten others, including Kyle here, are destined to save this city from the evil that is trying to take over," Cowboy Queue began to explain. "Lawrence Green, the one with never-ending energy, fated to duel the Stealer of Souls."

"I don't... understand...?" Lawrence couldn't have looked more lost.

"It will be explained further tomorrow, eleven o'clock, at the White Barn. The others will be there as well."

"Well, I'm not a-going anymore, y'all!" Kyle objected, arms crossed. "I will not work with _him_."

"It's too late. You already agreed to come."

Kyle snorted. "Are there _others_ on this team that I should be aware of, y'all?"

"Not until tomorrow." was Queue's curt answer. He mounted his horse and looked down at them. "I have a few...precautions to put in place tonight. I'll see you both tomorrow." With a flick of the reigns, he rode off.

Kyle's glare then turned to Lawrence. "Well, this is still my property, y'all!" he exclaimed. "So. Get. OUT!"

Lawrence glared at him once more before climbing on his white horse and riding away down the path.

* * *

Cowboy Queue was happily whistling while riding off to the White Barn to prepare for the upcoming guests. He was now approaching the Whrilk Bridge. It was the newest one, although not many people used it anymore because of the decline in trade and its odd location over a small gully in a scraggly forest.

Just then, a rustle came from a dry bush. Queue looked at it a little suspiciously, then carried on. _It's probably just the wind,_ he thought, but he still didn't believe his own words completely. He started to reach into his saddle bag for his canteen. That's when an arrow shot out whizzing past Queue's head, just missing. It hit an old tree instead.

There was a frustrated hissing noise from the bush. _A zarthlu_ , Cowboy Queue realized with surprised horror. _I knew they were coming, but I didn't think it'll be this soon_.

"Show yourself!" Queue yelled while pointing his pitchfork at the bush. He just happened to bring a pitchfork where he went, especially when he was not around other people.

"Why sssshould I?" the zarthlu asked from the shadows.

"I'm not afraid to find you myself."

The zarthlu stepped out ready to fire the next arrow, determined not to miss this time. Queue identified this one as Soul Stealer. The leader of the zarthlus.

"I do not look for war right now," Queue said firmly, "So, tell me what you are doing here."

Soul Stealer shot his arrow. Queue ducked just in time.

Soul Stealer gave Queue an angry look and replied, "I came to finish you off. You will not ssssssucceed at getting the Wild Roundup together."

"Ah. So how did you find me?" Queue acted as if he didn't seem affected by what Soul Stealer had just said.

"Like I'll sssssspill my ssssecretsss." He was now preparing another arrow.

Queue quickly urged his horse forward and flicked the bow and arrow out of Soul Stealer's hands smoothly with the tip of the pitchfork. Now directing it at Soul Stealer's neck, he said, "You will."

Soul Stealer narrowed his eyes. "I could ssssensssse the energy of the lassssst member and knew you'd be there. After that, I followed you and tried getting you alone."

"You can sense their energy?" Queue asked curiously.

"Only the lassssst one'sss." He smiled evilly.

Queue lowered the pitchfork and said, "Now go back to where you came from before I make you." He stabbed the pitchfork near Soul Stealer's foot.

Soul Stealer gave him a look with his beady red eyes. "Be warned, Queue," he said ominously, "next time, I won't misssss." Then he spun his heavy cloak and vanished into thin air.

Queue veered his horse back around and continued down the path, but this time, he kept looking behind his back with the well-known uneasy feeling of being watched.

* * *

"Wait! You said when there was a bridge, we'd find out how Queue found them," Jay said to Sensei.

"Well," Tia answered, "if you were _paying attention_ , Soul dude said he could sense the taxes dude so, Queue guy could probably just do the same."

"Tia is correct," said Sensei Wu.

"He could just… that was it…?" asked Lloyd, stammering. He shook himself and said, "I need to order a pizza!"

"I think he needs more than one if this keeps going on," Ivy whispered to Skylor, smiling.

"I heard that!" Lloyd said, glaring at Ivy while on the phone to get a NNC pizza.

Sensei sighed, for what felt like the millionth time, and said, "Well, now that that's done, no more interruptions! Back to the story."

* * *

 **And now Queue has finally found all the members! Things are bound to get a whole lot crazier from here! Anyways, like always, please feel free to leave a review and I hope y'all have a dazzling week! ;)**


	10. The WIIIILD Round-up!

Chapter Ten: The WIIIILD Round-up!

 **NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO! SUMMER VACATION IS OVER FOR ME! No more free hours of lazying around doing absolutely nothing for another nine, slow months! Back to crazy packed schedules of tests, and sports practices, and studying, and math…ugh, lots and lots of math…:O Okay, rant over! :'D Though I'm starting school this week, fingers crossed, that won't affect this posting schedule! Speaking of schedules, this post is already running behind… To chapter ten! XD**

 **Jens: Yep, this meeting definitely won't end well…XD And esprit and queue really mean spirit and tail? That's so cool! Yah, we didn't plan that at all. :'D Well, esprit was supposed to sound something like spirits, but I didn't know it would actually mean it! And as for queue, that's an interesting story. XD So originally it was going to be "Qu", like "Wu", but then one time I was sending Kendra an email and it said 'queued' on it. I texted her this, and then we're both like, "Wait,** _ **queue**_ **…" It stuck! XD And yas, Lloyd just can't seem to get enough of pizza! When Kendra and I did that accent debate, Lloyd's was Italian. And yep, Kyle is such a drama king. XD And thank you so much!**

 **Anonymous7: To be honest, writing about characters like Lawrence and Kyle lashing out at each other is really fun. XD And thanks! Having the whole thing be told by Sensei Wu as a story with the ninja breaking in was not the original idea, but I'm so glad we did it! After coming up with the story idea, we're like, "yaaahh…world building? Too complicated! We'll just make it a story in a story!" XD And oo, cucumbers! I forgot about those; I love cucumbers too! As well as food. XD And yas, I remember editing that popcorn scene a few chapters back right before dinner and being like, "this is a mistake!" :'D And yours also sounds hilarious! Stop-motions take a while, but they're always so fun to make!**

* * *

Natalie looked down at the address in the letter, then back at the pristine white barn-house. _This must be the place,_ she thought with wonder.

The morning after Cowboy Queue visited her workshop, she had found this letter from him on her shop's doorstep, saying she and the others were to meet at the White Barn tomorrow, which was now today. Pretty much everyone in town knew where the White Barn was. After all, it was the largest and best maintained property around, owned by the famous Cowboy Queue. Not that he was there a lot.

Natalie took a deep breath, picked up her pale blue skirt, and climbed the steps to the farmhouse's front door. She looked at the brass dragon doorknocker. _Strange choice in decoration,_ she wondered as she picked it up and let it drop.

Almost immediately, a breathless servant girl opened the door. "Are you here for the meeting?" she asked instantly, dusting flour off her apron.

"Well, yes; I'm Natalie-"

The girl ushered her inside without waiting for her to finish her introduction and pointed to the hallway heading to the right. "The meeting is going being held in the parlor. Master Queue will be here shortly." Then she grabbed a duster and ran off.

Natalie didn't know why she would need it. Everything already looked spotless.

She made her way down the hallway, glancing at the expensive paintings lining the bright white walls. Then she reached a set of open double doors, and went inside with a small gasp.

The parlor was crazy fancy, from the white walls trimmed with gold, the plush sofas, huge paintings, tall windows, and grand fireplace. The walls were lined with shelves of books, and the table in the middle of the cluster of armchairs was laid out with tea in porcelain cups and many other delicacies.

Obviously, she was the first one here. She slowly sat down on one of the pure white sofas, and gingerly took a teacup. _This is awkward. I hope the others show up soon. I wonder who they are? Probably other high-class people, if we're meeting here._ The thought comforted her a little, and she stirred some sugar into her tea while she took in a nearby painting of a mountain landscape.

Just then, a girl stormed into the room, looking around and glaring as if she smelled something bad. She wore dusty buckskin pants, a cotton shirt with a vest on top, and a cowboy hat. Her orange copper hair was done into a messy braid, and Natalie winced seeing the dirt on her face. The girl's hazel eyes settled on her, and then narrowed.

"I already don't like the look of this, y'all!" she said, and plopped herself on a white armchair across from Natalie, causing a cloud of dust. Natalie bit her lip, seeing the dirt smears on the white fabric. _Not what I had in mind..._

"Well, if ya also in this group, I guess I should introduce myself," the girl continued, crossing her legs and leaning back in the chair. "Howdy, I'm Tessa Taylor. How do ya do?"

Natalie sat bolt upright. "Wait, like the bandit?"

Tessa smiled wickedly. She took out a small knife and started filing her nails with it. "So y'all heard of me. How nice. And who are ya?"

Natalie swallowed. "Natalie Smithereens. The inventor."

Tessa nodded thoughtfully. "I also heard of y'all. I recently met your brother, Kyle. It's his fault I was caught and almost put in jail."

Natalie started. "Wait, what?"

Just then, another figure came marching into the room. Natalie instantly recognized him as Caleb Brown, the town's head sheriff. The badge made it easy.

Tessa scowled at him. "I was a-hoping y'all would get shot by one of my fellow bandits before this meetin'."

Caleb scowled back. "Glad to know I was missed." He sat down next to Natalie. "Where's everyone else?" he asked Natalie, clearly ignoring Tessa.

"Use yer eyes, stupid!" Tessa exclaimed before Natalie could answer. "They're obviously not 'ere yet!"

Caleb shot her a glare, and she glared back. Natalie shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The two already seemed to know the other would be here, and they definitely weren't happy about it.

Several minutes passed by in a tense silence. Natalie swirled her tea, trying to think of a way to start a conversation without it ending in disaster. Right when she was about to bring up the safe "The weather's nice today" cliché, seven people burst through the doorway at once in a stampede, arguing about something intensely. Seeing the others, they immediately stopped arguing, but the tenseness in the room instantly hit an extreme. Natalie looked them over with interest and felt a jolt of surprise run through her. She dropped her teacup on the polished wood floor with a shatter.

Standing among the group of seven was her brother Kyle, looking extremely angry and annoyed, glaring at the other six. Then there were two upper class people, one Natalie recognized as Clara Green, the mayor's daughter. She saw the girl with curly brown hair and soft green eyes once at a town meeting next to her father. The other was a tall man with pale blond hair and light blue eyes. And the last four people were wearing the brown and silver colors of the resistance: a girl with red hair and amber eyes, another girl with long black hair in two braids who Natalie vaguely remembered as the sheriff's twin sister; the bandit who had tried to steal her tools in the marketplace Natalie realized with a flash of anger, and the last one, a familiar looking young man with black hair and brown eyes...

"Cameron?" Natalie sputtered in surprise.

Cam avoided her stare. "Oh, uh, howdy, Nat."

Natalie ran up to her younger brother and gave him a fierce hug. "For goodness sake, Cam! We thought... I thought you were dead! That…day in the marketplace you just disappeared, and we never saw you again! Where were you all these years?" She saw Kyle roll his eyes from the corner of her eye.

Cam awkwardly pulled back. "Uh, well, y'all see, um, it's…a looonng story-"

"Irene?!" Caleb had paled, staring at his sister in shock. "You...you were with _them_?!"

Irene bit her lip, and looked away.

Suddenly, a teapot went flying through the air. The bandit Jason Grant just barely managed to dodge it before it smashed into the wall in an explosion of tea and broken porcelain.

"YOOOOU!" Tessa standing up now, shaking with fury. She picked up a teacup and other dishware and stared hurling them at him.

Jason dodged them. "Y'all got to be kiddin' me!" he shouted. "I never agreed to this! I ain't working with y'all!"

"Me neither!" Tessa ran out of dishes and muffins, and so she switched to giving Jason the death glare.

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Actually, a knife might not be strong enough. Maybe an ax, though.

* * *

Queue approached his house, the White Barn, and could hear shouts coming from inside even from a distance. He sighed. _I should have been here earlier..._

He went through the front door and saw his maid by the hallway, looking down it anxiously. Hearing him enter, she whirled, and quickly curtsied.

"I don't know what's going on in there, sir," she said nervously. "But it doesn't sound good…"

"Thank you, Phoebe; I'll take care of it," Queue said with a sigh, making his way to the parlor.

He went in and saw it was even worse than he thought. There were loads of shattered dishes thrown across the room, and dust could be seen on the white furniture. The ten people in the room were all standing up, most of them yelling and arguing, sulking, or looking completely confused.

"SILENCE, MY SEGASUAS!" Cowboy Queue yelled above all of them. The room became silent, and the Wild Roundup stared at him in surprise, guilt, and with more confusion.

The room was silent until Kyle randomly asked, "What's a 'segasuas'?"

"It is what I will call you. In the ancient language, it means 'warriors'." He replied calmly. "Now, it is your time to answer my questions: what was the meaning of this chaos?"

"I can explain," stated John. "It was inevitably caused by the fact that somehow we all knew each other in some shape or form and most of them didn't get along, so they started throwing items."

"Thank you. Now, we will go around the room and say your name, so we might get to know each other." Queue gave them all a cold look.

"Tessa Taylor!"

"Clara Green."

"John Jameson."

"Kyle Smithereens, y'all!"

"Jason Grant."

"Cam Smithereens."

"Stephanie Stormer."

"Irene Brown."

"Natalie Smithereens."

"Caleb Brown."

"We are missing one," said Cowboy Queue dramatically with great flourish.

Kyle groaned, loud and long. "We ain't needin' him!"

"But, yes, we do, young segasua. We need all eleven to participate if we are to win this battle."

"Speaking of that," Stephanie broke in, "weren't you going to say what this _evil_ is?"

"Only when the last segasua gets here; I don't like to repeat myself."

Then a figure looked around the doorway and came into the parlor. Lawrence Green.

"Lawrence?" Clara asked, blinking with astonishment.

"You're here too?" he asked. "And..." He trailed off, looking at the rest of the group; he knew most of them, and he disliked most of them too.

"Perfect timing, Lawrence," Queue said. Then he turned to the rest of the team. "Now, to tell you about the evil. The evil that plagues this town is the zarthlus and eprits. They have returned, they would like their sweet revenge. Your mission is to defeat them, and save the town while also uniting the two classes. That is the reason that you eleven have been chosen."

"So, we're physically fighting these creatures?" asked Clara with her eyebrows raised.

"Yes. Your training will begin in precisely half an hour."

"What do we do until then?" asked Cam, looking around the room uneasily.

"Try to get to know each other and get along, because it seems most of you lack that. Also, I will make sure lunch will be ready. So, please, try not to throw anything while I'm gone." He then left the room, doors swinging closed behind him.

* * *

The next few minutes were spent in more taut quiet. The ones from the lower class sat on one side of the sofas, and the upper class on the other. No one moved, unless to exchange looks of anger, shock, sadness, and betrayal.

Suddenly, the servant girl opened the doors, causing everyone to jump.

"Uh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said cautiously, balancing the tray. "I just brought some more tea and stuff." She quickly set it on the table, and hurried out of the room, closing the doors.

Stephanie stared at the tray, noticing that the cups were wooden this time.

Tessa grabbed a biscuit and sat back in her chair, looking over at Jason. "So, Garbage-Grant," she started, flipping her braid over her shoulder, "just how did the resistance allow an abomination such as yerself into their ranks?"

Jason's cobalt blue eyes narrowed. "Let's just say they saw 'ow _amazin'ly skilled_ I was and offered me a spot in the resistance, which I took."

Suddenly a biscuit bounced off Jason's head. "I don't believe that for a second, y'all!" she scoffed.

"We are not permitted to throw objects," John broke in. "Perhaps we should engage in conversation using less violent methods."

"Like what, y'all?" exclaimed Kyle, arms crossed. "I pretty much hate everyone in this room."

"Like explaining how you seven all know each other," offered Natalie, looking suspiciously at her brothers.

"It's a long story, y'all, but I'll sum it up," said Cam. "Stephanie, Irene, and myself helped found the resistance. Jason here was one of our most recent recruits. We captured Clara and John to cause chaos in the government-"

"IT WAS YOU?!" exclaimed Lawrence, standing up. He pulled out a knife. "I ought to stab this knife right through you!"

"Lawrence, calm down!" said Clara, pulling him back down. "We're in the same group now. We can't be stabbing each other!"

"You're defending this...this...THAT?" Lawrence sat back down, but didn't put the knife away. He glared at Cam. "I swear, if you so much as look at my sister ever again, I'll-"

"As I was a-saying," Cam butted in, ignoring Lawrence, "we were escaping the hideout since we were being attacked, and got separated from the other resistance members. That's when we bumped into Queue and all that prophecy stuff was mentioned. We tried going to Jason's ole place, but it was swarming with esprit thangs. So we crashed at Kyle's farm instead."

"They just barged into my farm and expected me to be okay with it, y'all!" Kyle burst out. "Cam was like _'I have as much right to be here as you do'_ , but he didn't! If I wasn't outnumbered, I woulda just kicked 'em all out! My 'orses were just as upset!"

Everyone gave him a strange look.

"What, y'all?"

"Never mind!" said Natalie.

Caleb then looked over at Irene, expression still hurt. "Why, Irene? Why did you betray the government?"

Irene took a deep breath, looking at her boots. "You can't actually be okay with this government, can you? They take away all yer money, and expect ya to keep payin'. The low class barely has any rights. And if this government were to keep up like this, this town will fall to ruins. _Again_."

Caleb didn't say anything, and looked away.

Tessa pulled out a pocket watch, obviously stolen from how fancy it looked. "Where is Queue dude?" she demanded. "It's been thirty-two minutes!"

"Right here."

Everyone spun around to find Cowboy Queue standing in the doorway. "I hope you enjoyed your tea, because lunch won't be for a while. Now, follow me to the training room. We need to get your new uniforms situated, and then the real challenge will begin."

* * *

The mayor was satisfyingly looking down at some of the members of the resistance he had captured. There were two girls and one guy. Their hands were cuffed behind them and the mayor's guards held on to them to make sure they wouldn't escape. The rest of the resistance had managed to evade his officials, but he would soon find them.

"Tell me," he said, "where is the rest of your little organization hiding?"

The younger of the two girls spoke up, her aqua eyes flashing. "We don't know."

"I doubt that."

"She's telling the truth, y'all!" the boy interrupted, defending her. "We were just followin' the rest through the tunnels."

Mayor Green thought about this. "If what you're saying is true, then you are useless to me." He turned to face the guards. "Take them to the prison."

"Wait!" said the other girl, who had been quiet since she and her teammates got captured.

"What is it?" The mayor asked with frustration. _I don't have time for this!_

"Uh..." She looked side to side, frantic.

"I'm waiting." The mayor crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Uh, we can see if we can find where the rest of the resistance tunnels come out!"

Her friends looked at her, confused.

"Really? How do I know you're not lying?"

The girl paled. "Um, well, it's your best chance of findin' 'em."

"And I'm supposed to believe you're just going to turn on your side? I should have known." He turned back to the guards. "Lock them in the prison. We will find the rest by ourselves."

The guards dragged them out of the room. The three struggled to no avail.

 _Kids these days..._ thought Mayor Green, sitting back at his desk.

* * *

The guards brought the three newest prisoners to a cell in the jailhouse. It was dark and poorly lit by a couple lanterns, and it didn't smell good at all, to say the least. The guards took off their cuffs and shoved the three teenagers inside, locking the door behind them. Two stood guard outside while the other three left to go back to town hall.

"How long do y'all think we'll be 'ere?" the girl with aqua eyes, Kimberly, whispered.

"Not much longer!" said the guy, Will, quietly digging around in the corner.

"What did ya find?" The older girl, Serena, asked, pulling her auburn hair over her shoulder.

Will held up a bullet whispering, "We could a-use this."

"We ain't gotta gun." Kimberly protested.

"I have somethin' else in mind."

* * *

 **And now you have been introduced to three completely random new characters that we previously weren't going to go far with but…well, I'm not going to spoil it! XD Anyways, leave a review and we wish you all a marvelous week! :D**


	11. Uh, Training! And Other Random Stuff!

Chapter 11: Uh…Training! Yah! And Other Random Stuff!

 **Geometry. Don't do it, y'all! Naming lines and planes and points, do they intersect? Draw a model of line s and t intersecting but v doesn't intersect either one. What's the square root of forty-four x to the fourth and y to the third? UHHHHHHHGGGG! It was just problem after problem of** _ **that**_ **. So, don't do it, y'all! XD But let's not bring math into this anymore than it has to be. :P**

 **Jens: Yah, this group really has its differences! Training will be quite the struggle! And Tessa and Jason? We touch up on their backstories and where that hatred came from later in the story, so I don't want to spoil that for ya. Though, honestly, we probably should've had that earlier in the story; we didn't come up with it till later and we already had so much written before it and it just doesn't fit earlier…now I'm ranting. The struggles of story writing. XD And yas, Lawrence or Lloyd would be quite different with an Italian accent. He could be…the Pasta Ninja! XD And thank you! We're happy to spread laughs! :) And Will, Kimberly and Serena were placed in this story pretty randomly, but yas, they do get an important role later! The only one based off of someone is Kimberly, who is based off a completely random character in one of the stop-motions Kendra and I made a long time ago. She likes to sing. A lot. :'D**

 **Anonymous7: Thanks; it was super fun writing their reactions! XD And "segasuas" origin? Well…XD You could say it's from the sausage's language in our first story, TCOTMS. Bascially, it's just "sausages" backwards. But now I'm wondering if it does have a meaning in a different language…I'm googling it. XD *enter typing sounds* Um…apparently there's a book that has a tightrope walker called 'The Daring Segasuas'…that's intriguing. :'D And thanks! I could always use more luck. I'm in the early-ish grades of hs with all its struggles. XD And you? (you don't need to say if you're not comfortable) And agreed; summer just flies past ya! On the first day of school I'm just thinking, "Wait, it's a new school year? What happened to summer?" XD Oo, and sometimes when we're lazy (which I admit is often), for the walking scenes in stop-motions we just have them slide. Awkward slide. :'D**

* * *

Gauldon and Spider crouched behind tall, shady bushes, their squadron of esprits close behind them. They watched the White Barn carefully, due to the recent activity noticed by the esprit scouts. So far, they saw a number of people enter, including Cowboy Queue. They also heard a lot of smashing and yelling.

"It ssssoundsss like a tornado isss in there!" commented Spider.

"Gauldon think they attack each other!" said Gauldon, speaking in third person.

"That'ssss obviousss!" hissed Spider. "The real quessstion isss, why? Sssoul Ssstealer sssaid they were the Wild Roundup!"

"Gauldon not know."

"Gauldon not know anything!"

At that insult, Gauldon smacked Spider on the shoulder with his ax handle. Spider whirled on him, teeth bared, and punched Gauldon in the gut. As Gauldon went down, he kicked at Spider's leg, tripping him and bringing him down too.

The esprits seemed to glow brighter with the excitement, and they formed a ring around the fighting zarthlus. They chanted in their whispery, hissing voices, " _Ffffight...ffffight..._ "

And that's what Gauldon and Spider did. They wrestled on the ground, pretty evenly matched. For while Gauldon was stronger, Spider was faster. They kept fighting for around ten minutes before they began to tire out.

"Gauldon not dumb!" Gauldon argued between pants. "Gauldon very, very smart!"

"I'll agree to that when pigsss fly!" Spider spat.

"What the heck issss going on here!?" a voice demanded.

Gauldon and Spider stopped fighting and slowly turned around. Bagtha, squadron of esprits in neat rows behind her, was scowling behind them, hands on hips. Gauldon and Spider's esprits dimmed in embarrassment and got back into a group.

"Usselessss, usselesssss!" she screeched, hauling up Spider and Gauldon. "You're to _command_ a sssquadron, not entertain it!"

Gauldon and Spider suddenly became very interested in the ground.

"Sssoul Ssstealer isss SSSO going to hear about thissss!" Then Bagtha looked around, taking in the farmhouse. "And jussst why are you here?"

"We sssaw the Wild Roundup go in there and ssstart fighting each other," Spider quickly stated.

Some of the rage in Bagtha's expression turned into mild interest. "Oh, isss that ssso? Ssstill no reasson to fight amongssst ourssselvess!" She pushed the two away and walked up to the edge of the bushes. "Hmmm..."

"What do Gauldon do now?" Gauldon asked.

Bagtha turned around. "You both take your sssquadron back to the town and hunt down more banditsss and ressisstance fightersss. I'll ssssend half of my _highly well dissssciplined_ troopsss to keep you in check."

Spider and Gauldon high-fived, excited to be in the action.

"And what will you be doing?" inquired Spider.

Bagtha smiled, and turned back around, looking at the farmhouse. "The remaining troopsss and I will learn more about thissss ssso called 'Wild Roundup'."

* * *

The Wild Roundup walked hesitantly into the temporary training course Queue had set up behind the barn. They were now wearing their new uniforms of black leather with different colored bandannas. Cowboy Queue was sitting on a bench next to the training course, calmly sipping a cup of tea.

He said to them, "Segasuas, the first part of this training is completing this course before I finish my tea. Any volunteers to go first?"

There was silence among them as they took in the mess of ladders, poles, hanging weapons, rope swings, and deep gullies.

"Well then, I will choose." He looked down the _very_ spread out row, scrutinizing each young adult. "Kyle, you can go."

"But, I ain't wanna! How do I even get through?" Kyle argued, crossing his arms.

"Simple. You dodge the weapons on that." Queue pointed to a spinning wheel-like construction equipped with hanging axe blades. "Then, you climb that wall, jump and slide down that pole, then hop from post to post"—he pointed to several large wooden posts—"and lastly, you shoot those three targets with the rifle placed there, vault over that pit with the pole, and climb that steep ramp to the top of the roof and climb down."

Kyle blinked in obvious confusion. "Can ya repeat that?"

Tessa shoved him forward. "Just do it!" she snapped. "I have betta things I want to do, so stop wastin' _time_!"

He narrowed his eyes at her then turned around and stepped forward, taking a deep breath. He cautiously put a foot on the spinning contraption, and it immediately began turned, throwing him off and sending Kyle flying. The roundup all took a step back as Kyle fell to the ground in front of them. They stared blankly at him, no one offering to help him up.

"Fail," Queue said simply, setting his tea cup down. "Now, who's next?"

"Wait, I barely did anythin' and ya let the next one go?" Kyle said angrily, sitting up and brushing dust off his arms.

"You also need to learn patience, not just the physical work."

Kyle groaned. "This was an even worse idea than I thought, y'all!" He stumbled upright and walked to where the others were standing.

"Anyways, Tessa, since you seemed so eager for Kyle to go, you can be next," Cowboy Queue stated.

"Fine," she said stepping up to the course with a flip of her braid. She managed to stay on the spinning mechanism, getting scratched a few times by the blades. But when she jumped off and reached the climbing wall, Queue interrupted.

"Fail!" he announced, holding up his empty tea cup.

"What?!" Tessa spat dust out of her mouth and whirled to face Queue. "That's SO not fair, y'all! Anyone can slurp down a cup of tea in a few seconds! Ya can't expect us ta make it to the end in that amount of t-"

" _Next,_ " Queue emphasized, glaring at Tessa. "When you're battling the zarthlus, you can't expect them to patiently wait for you to pull that trigger, or give you that running head start, or to ever so conveniently miss. All of you must learn to be faster, smarter, and stronger if you are to stand a chance against our enemies. Likewise, you must complete this course with speed, agility, and skill. And, like you said before, my young segasua, let's not waste anymore time. Cam, you are next."

* * *

After a couple hours, all of them went through the course, but most of them failed. Jason, Cam, Irene, and Stephanie sat in a group, while Clara, John, and Lawrence sat as far away from the former as possible. The last four, Kyle, Caleb, Tessa, and Natalie, all sat scattered around by themselves. All eleven were breathing heavily and feeling pretty frustrated.

Queue finished off his last bit of tea and stoop up, picking up the teapot. "I will see you tomorrow, my little segasuas," he said. "I pray there will be some improvement in your obstacle course skills."

"Wait a second," Caleb protested, "we never had lunch!"

Cowboy Queue shrugged without concern. "All of you took too long in your training for there to be time for lunch. Perhaps you will make that time tomorrow when we meet again at the same time." With that, Queue left the course and went back inside his house, teapot in hand.

Cam rolled his eyes. "Welp, I guess we'll just get somethin' for lunch on our own. Shame though, I was hopin' for free food."

"But, this is too close to dinner!" Caleb said, irritated.

"All you're doing now is making it worse," Stephanie replied. She turned to Cam, Irene, and Jason. "Let's just go before it starts to get dark."

The Wild Roundup split up eagerly, glad to be rid of each other. Kyle stormed off, walking as fast as he could, the four resistance fighters trailing a safe distance behind him. Caleb rode off quickly on his horse while Lawrence fetched his and, leading it by the reigns, walked back to the heart of the town with John and Clara. Natalie pulled her shawl nervously around herself as she set off, and Tessa disappeared into the darkness almost instantly. None of them paid attention to the fireflies fluttering through the nearby dry forest, or so they thought they were fireflies…

* * *

"Okay, ya guys ready?" whispered Will, looking at the other two.

Serena bit her lip. "I dunno, Will, so many things could go wrong..."

"Let's go, partners!" Kimberly snatched the bullet out of Will's hand and quietly marched up to the cell door. There were two guards on either side of the door, backs facing them.

Kimberly hurled the bullet, and it bounced off one of the guard's shoulder and unto the floor.

"Y'all, what the heck...?" The first guard rubbed his shoulder and looked around on the floor, spotting the bullet. He whirled around, seething with fury. "All right, which one of yous decided they a-want a whipping?" he challenged.

Kimberly had already retreated to the back of the cell with Will and Serena. They innocently looked up at him as if confused.

"What are you talking 'bout?" asked Will.

"You know very well what I-"

"Yeesh, chill, dude," said guard number two, looking bored. "It probably just fell from your rounds in a weird way. Nothin' to freak about."

Guard #1 glared at the prisoners, then turned back around. He stepped in front of the door to pick up the bullet.

That's when the three sprung. Will and Serena reached through the bars and grabbed guard #1 by the shirt, wrenching him against the cell door. His head hit the iron bars with a smack, knocking him unconscious. Kimberly grabbed the ring of keys from the guard's pocket, and took his pistol. Then Will and Serena let the guard slide to the floor.

This happened so fast, guard #2 didn't have time to react. And when he did, reaching for his gun, it was too late.

"Stop right there!" ordered Kimberly, pointing the pistol at him. "Move just an inch, or make the smallest sound, and I'll put a bullet through your brain!"

He froze, and slowly put his hands up.

Kimberly kept the gun pointed at him while Serena and Will messed around with the lock, trying numerous keys. Finally, a loud _click_ sounded, and the door creaked open.

"Huzzah!" exclaimed Will in victory, and he, Serena, and Kimberly stepped out of the cell, pushing guard #1 inside.

"Now," said Serena, glaring at guard #2, "get in there with him."

They gagged guard #2 with his own bandanna, and shoved him in the cell as well, locking the door.

"That was awesome, y'all!" Kimberly said, waving the pistol in the air.

"Whoa, careful with that thang! Y'all gonna blow a hole in the ceilin'!" Will took it from her, clicked on the safety, then paused. He opened the pistol's chamber and frowned.

"What is it?" asked Serena, looking over his shoulder.

"It's not loaded."

A muffled sound of anger sounded from the cell behind them.

"We could steal the guards' bullets," suggested Kimberly.

But then, they heard talking from the hallway in front of them, and saw shadows in the lantern light coming their way.

"Forget that!" said Serena, "We need to hide!"

The three looked around desperately, but the hallway was too long to make it out of sight in time, and other than a couple cells, the walls were straight, smooth wood.

"In here!" said Will running to an empty cell. He pulled out the key ring and began trying the different keys in the lock.

The voices grew louder, and the shadows were almost around the corner.

"Hurry!" Kimberly hissed.

After a few more keys, the lock finally clicked.

"Go, go!" cried Serena.

They dashed inside and managed to close the door (though not completely, of course) before the figures rounded the corner. The three carefully peered out, holding their breath.

Mayor Green and a shadowy figure were walking down the hallway, followed by several floating green orbs. Serena, Will, and Kimberly exchanged a look, creeped out. As the group got closer, they saw the cloaked figure better: red slitted eyes, pale, almost translucent skin, and a quiver of arrows on his back. Kimberly bit back a gasp, and her older companions looked just as horrified.

"Your army is doing very well, Soul Stealer," the mayor commented to the definitely not-human figure. "As is expected."

"We never fail," Soul Stealer replied in a hissing voice. "Thosse banditssss and ressisstance fighterss will be rounded up in no time. And you are sssstill keeping up your end of the deal, correct?"

The mayor sighed, looking unpleased. "Yeah, yeah, you and your zarthlus will get a place in the government. It's being worked out already."

"Good. We don't like to be kept waiting. Besssidess, it'sss already dissappointing enough how you let your prissonersss essscape."

Serena, Will, and Kimberly flinched in panic.

"What do you mean?" asked Mayor Green, eyes narrowing.

Soul Stealer gestured without interest at the exact cell the three were hiding in. "Take thossse onesss for inssstance. They got the keysss from your guardsss in a heartbeat. My, my, how disssappointing on your part."

The mayor blinked in surprise, then glared at the cell.

"Allow me to do the honorsss." Soul Stealer turned to the esprits behind him. "Finisssh them off, boysss."

The esprits went shooting towards the cell.

"Out!" yelled Will, and they burst out of the cell and ran as fast as they could down the hallway, esprits flying after them.

Suddenly, Kimberly stumbled, and fell down. Will and Serena screeched to a stop.

"Kimberly!" shouted Serena. A large gash was on Kimberly's right leg where an arrow had grazed it. Will and Serena looked up, and saw Soul Stealer smiling at them, bow in hand. The esprits caught up to Kimberly and surrounded her.

"Run! Just run!" Kimberly yelled as the swirling esprits hid her from view.

"No!" screamed Serena, about to run back.

Will grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "We have no choice, Serena," he said quietly. "It's too late. We need to go if we stand a chance of warning the town about this."

Serena wiped at her eyes and nodded. They both took off running down the hallway.

Soul Stealer watched them run. _Oh, thisss isss going to be entertaining._

* * *

"Yes! Action!" Cole exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"You just ruined it!" Ivy said, rolling her eyes.

Cole, ignoring his sister, sat up saying, "I'm getting cake to celebrate!" Then he left to go to the fridge.

"Why do all these interruptions have to do with food?" Skylor asked.

"And stalking," added Lloyd.

"Because lassoin' is awesome, y'all!" stated Kai.

"Dude, that's the most random thing ever!" Tia exclaimed.

"Sausages, I will now continue." Sensei said.

"Continuing selfie!" said Nya, taking out her phone.

"Nya, I said not to have your phone out."

Nya put her phone down. And Sensei added, "Now-"

"Wait!" shouted Cole from the kitchen, "I'm almost done!"

A minute later Cole came walking in with a slice of crispy blackened cake.

"What kind of cake is that?" Jay asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Uh, it's supposed to be vanilla," Cole replied. "I might have burnt it slightly though."

"I sense it was more than slightly." Zane said.

Cole shrugged and took a bite, then put his fork down, "You're right, Zane."

"Thank you."

Sensei Wu sighed then asked, "Is there anything else you would like to say before I continue, so that I won't be interrupted?"

Then, they heard a knock on their window. They looked over and saw a figure wearing brown-on-brown pressing himself up against the glass. "I have to go to the bathroom!" he said to the ninja, jumping up and down.

"Dareth." Kai glared at him. "Get. Out."

"I'm not even in your house!"

After that, the ninja and Sensei Wu ignored him.

"I like cheese," Mac said randomly, trying to get the last bits of melted cheese from his bowl of popcorn.

Tia facepalmed.

"Well, today's certainly been... interesting," stated Carol.

"And getting more so," Skylor said, staring while Cole began to stab the rock-hard burnt cake in an attempt to break it apart.

"Yes, sausage," said Wu with a sigh. "Now, I will continue. And, hopefully, no one will interrupt."

* * *

 **Ugh, I still have homework I almost forgot about! Please excuse any typos that might still be lingering in this chapter; I'm kinda rushing. Anyways, please review and till next time, have a stupendous week! ;)**


	12. These Stormy Skies

Chapter 12: These Stormy Skies

 **I'm alive! Well, sorta. Last weekend was so cray-cray with an all-day soccer game, homework, projects, catching up on much missed sleep, but here I am again! Sorta alive! Cause this weekend, I** _ **still**_ **have tons of homework! But I don't care right now! You just get to that point in life where you just don't care anymore! Why am I using exclamation points in all my sentences?! Whatever! XD**

 **Anonymous7: Who needs the Temple of Airjitzu when you have the Temple of Sausages, am I right? XD And oo, looks like we're only one grade level apart! And my school's classes? (clears throat) My school…how do I put this….it's a** _ **special**_ **place. :'D I go to a smaller private school, but it's not the private as in 'fancy well-kept with numerous unique classes' kind of private. For example, just this Tuesday while we were on our way to school, the bus broke down. The same second-hand bus with the leaky escape hatch and the broken AC. That was interesting. XD Also, the only reason I'm in soccer and track is because it is so small. I'd never get into a sport otherwise. XD My classes are the basics, like English, Spanish, Biology, and…*shudders* Geometry. Though they're kinda like AP class level, so it's a lot more complicated. Oo, and I take art! I'm terrible at all things drawing, but the class itself is so relaxing. It'd be easy to fall asleep if I wasn't pinching myself the whole time. XD And och, this is late, but good luck on your first school week(s)! Hopefully you're not like me and almost walk into the wrong classroom on first period already on the first day. XD**

 **Jens: Yas, I basically just "killed" off a character within the next chapter of knowing her…I can be real morbid at time. Especially since Kendra came up with the new characters and then the next thing you know I kill one of them off. XD And oo, we should've written about Lawrence going through the course! XD We didn't do everyone because that would've taken too long, but I completely forgot about him. Lawrence is pretta full of himself. But don't worry; he gets better…. *reflects on what is written so far in the story* Or, uh…well…maybe not for a** _ **little**_ **bit, ahem, ahem. X) We'll have to see what happens with the siblings, even Kendra and I didn't get to discussing that part of the story yet. And Cole the Master of Earth? More like Coal, Master of Fast Cake Baking Disasters! And yas, puns are da best! XD I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction. XDDD**

* * *

"Queue isss training them, you sssay?"

"Yesss, Sssoul Ssstealer. But they sshow no potential." Bagtha smiled victoriously. "Nothing ssstands in our way!"

Soul Stealer didn't seem to agree. He looked around the hidden base, thinking. "Did you leave ssscouts?"

"Of courssse. If anything interessting happenss, we'll be told in a heartbeat."

Soul Stealer nodded, but still didn't look satisfied.

"How isss the capturing going?" asked Bagtha, changing the subject.

"Sssplendid. Sssoon we'll be able to carry out the next phasse of the plan. But ssstill, that prophecy..."

"Oh, masster," said Bagtha, smiling venomously, "prophecies can change."

* * *

"Fail."

"But y'all, that landing was on point! At least give me credit for dat!"

"No, Tessa. To succeed, you must accomplish the whole task."

"This sucks!" Tessa marched to the target practice, fists shaking with anger.

Cowboy Queue sighed, beginning to worry. It's been a few days, and the Wild Roundup had made no progress at all in their training. In fact, they seemed to get worse. They weren't exactly _bonding_ , either.

"Y'all, what the heck is your problem?!" Cam was lying flat on the ground in the obstacle course, glaring at Lawrence.

Lawrence glared back at him. "I don't have any problems."

"Yah ya do! Y'all just tripped me right as I started runnin' to leap o'er that trench!"

Lawrence smiled wickedly. "I'm sorry. I can't help it if you're extremely clumsy."

Cam looked like he was about to launch himself at Lawrence when John hastily stepped between them. "I sense it will be more beneficial to spend our limited time training and increasing our strength than tripping and yelling at each other," he commented, looking between the two nervously.

"Whatever, y'all!" Cam got up and jumped back into the training course.

Over at the target practice, a huge commotion started. Tessa and Jason had the guns pointed at each other, yelling insults, while Stephanie looked on, trying to keep them both from pulling the trigger.

"Ya take that back, you load 'o garbage!" Tessa shrieked, taking the safety off her pistol.

"Of all the things you call me, y'all, ya can't call me a liar!" Jason shot back, rifle aimed right back at Tessa. "Yer as bad as _them_. And ya can't deny it…"

"Yer comparing me to _them_? That's the last straw! I-"

"Whoa, whoa, guys, no!" Stephanie came up behind Tessa and forced her arm down. "Save it for the zarthlus!"

"There's people 'round these parts worse than the zarthlus," Jason said with unexpected quietness, turning back to the target in front of him and plastering it with bullets.

Meanwhile, Irene and Caleb were at the rope climbing station, pretending the other wasn't there. Not a word was passed between them, so they were mostly forgotten about. At one point when climbing up the rope, Irene faltered in her climbing, partially losing her grip. On the rope next to her, Caleb quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, helping her regain her grip. The two siblings stared at each other for an awkward second before Caleb quickly let go of her and started climbing back down while Irene doubled her speed upwards.

Over at the space between the barnhouse and the stable, Clara, Kyle, and Natalie were next in line to be tested by Queue. The narrow space between the two buildings was lined suspiciously with wooden planks.

"So, I'm just trying to retrieve the pistol without getting hit or caught by whatever's down there?" asked Natalie uneasily, looking down the short corridor where the many traps were set.

Cowboy Queue nodded tiredly. "Yes. And before time runs out."

Natalie looked at the end of the corridor, at the pistol lying on the stool at the very end. "Okay, here goes nothing." She brushed the dust off her leather pants, and started down the corridor.

Almost immediately, darts shot out of notches in the walls. Natalie dodged, running past them. She leaped the growing gap in the wooden floor, slid past the slashing metal spikes, and avoided the gaping trap doors.

She began to close in on the pistol, and excitement raced through her. _I'm going to make it!_ she thought. With an extra burst of speed, she rushed towards the stool holding the weapon.

But suddenly, a swinging pendulum axe went dipping towards her. Natalie screamed, and covered her face. Nothing happened.

Natalie slowly opened her eyes, and saw that the axe had stopped a hair's breath away from slicing her in half. She looked over at Queue, who had pulled the emergency stop lever for the testing course. Clara and Kyle stared at her in horror, not wanting to be next in line.

"Fail," said Queue, shaking his head as if disappointed. "You were so caught up in your progress, you forget to be cautious."

Natalie felt fury rise up in her, and she stormed back out the now deactivated corridor. "Yeah, I failed fifteen times already. Probably more; I stopped counting. I've had enough of this! This is impossible, and you know it! I'm out of here! If the rest of you want to waste your life chasing stupid goals, be my guest!" She walked out of the training area, stomped over to the barn house, and slammed the door behind her.

Everyone was quiet, having stopped what they were doing to watch Natalie's outburst.

"Um, well, I guess I'll a-go and make sure she's fine," Jason said, and followed after her.

"Ha, ha, another pistol!" Tessa picked up the gun Jason left and began randomly shooting at the targets.

Stephanie sighed, and continued practicing with a shotgun.

Cowboy Queue turned to Kyle. "You're next."

"Nuh, uh!" Kyle objected. He pushed Clara in front of himself. "She's next, y'all!"

Clara glared at him, and backed away. "Oh, no, he said you were next!"

"Ladies first!"

"That's a coward's excuse!"

Queue cleared his throat. "Enough. Kyle, you are next. Please proceed to the corridor."

Kyle groaned, and walked up to the starting line.

The others continued to train, no one noticing the green orbs that floated in the distance, ducking and weaving between old pines.

* * *

Will and Serena ran out the prison's back entrance with the esprits hot on their heels. Esprits didn't seem too fast, but they were fast enough. Serena and Will desperately looked around to find some place where the esprits wouldn't go or see them. The two charged to the outskirts of town, not even paying much attention to the old scorched forest they had run into. Running down a steep but small ravine, they were surprised to find a little stone overhang at the bottom. Scrambling underneath it, Will and Serena huddled together, breathing heavily. A few seconds later, they saw a swarm of esprits fly over them and continue through the forest, oblivious to the two hiding beneath them.

"We can rest here, I guess," panted Will as he sat on a small rock.

As Serena did the same, she looked around and saw that the overhang was more than just an overhang. It continued a little ways behind them into a tiny cave. Or at least Serena thought it continued only a little ways. All she could see down it was blackness besides a tiny light shining deep inside…

Will had apparently noticed her looking at the other end of the cave and saw it too.

"Do ya wanna see what's down there?" he asked, sounding excited at the new mystery.

Her eyes widened as she replied, "But, what if it's those creatures?"

"Then we better find out!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up to come with him.

"That's what ya said right before we got caught by the mayor, ya idiot!"

Will then remembered that scene from a few days ago. The three of them—himself, Serena, and Kimberly—didn't exactly know what was going on when Mongwau told them to hurry down the tunnels with the rest of the resistance, so he decided they would go see. The result had ended with them getting caught.

"We can just see who it is. If it's the bad guys, we can leave as soon as possible," Will replied.

"Fine. But if we get caught again, I'm escapin' and leavin' ya behind!"

"Then what are we doin' 'ere waitin'?"

He dragged her toward another larger rock and they peeked over it. They saw a small campfire lit in the middle of the place with a person sitting by it. He looked as if he was from the lower class, but he had some riches piled around him, such as pieces of jewelry, pricey bottles of alcoholic beverages, and parts of expensive furniture. _Bandit,_ thought Will.

The bandit was playing around with some sort of weapon he must've also stolen. It was like a throwing star but a little bigger; its center and the three points were golden while the rest was some sort of ebony stone.

"Great, it's a crazy lone bandit," Serena whispered angrily. "So let's get outta here." She turned around, but in the process, her boot scraped the rock they were hiding behind and a bit of loose gravel crumbled to the cave floor. She and Will locked eyes with the understandable look of _well, dang it_.

The bandit turned his head towards them instantly, revealing a strange looking eyepatch over one eye. "Who's there?" he asked, standing up.

Will and Serena froze as the bandit came over. He looked over at the two resistance members and said, "Well, well, well, what are ya two doin' over in these parts?"

"Uh, we were uh..." started Will. _Maybe I shouldn't say anythin'..._

The bandit looked at their clothes and said, "Resistance fighters, eh? Well then, now I know you're not with the mayor."

Will nodded while Serena was still frozen in her tracks.

"Well, shouldn't ya be with 'em?"

"We were captured by the mayor and escaped. Now we're lookin' for 'em." Will said, then added, "And we're gonna try and warn the town 'bout the esprits."

"I'd help, but I can't do that without somethin' in exchange." He said smiling evilly.

"What would that be?"

"See this?" He held up the strange weapon. "This be an aeroblade. There are five others and I need 'em. If y'all get 'em, I can 'elp ya."

"How do we know where to look?"

"I'll tell ya the location of the first one when ya agree," he said. "And by the way, name's Robert Shadow."

"Will. And she's Serena." He gestured over to her, "And, uh, I guess-"

"Augh!" Serena snapped out of her panicked state instantly and turned downright savage, glaring at Robert venomously. "We ain't that stupid! Well,"—she glanced over at Will—"at least I'm not. We don't need yer help! We can find our way out of this forest just fine ourselves, and there's no way we're riskin' our lives for some weird toys. We leavin' now, and theres' nothin' ya can do—"

Before either Will or Serena could blink, Robert had pulled out another blade, crossing his arms to press the aeroblade against Will's throat, the dagger against Serena's.

"I don't know if I was very clear before," he said in a now dead-serious tone. "But you two don't exactly have a choice."

Serena tried to reply, but all that came out was a strangled gurgle.

"Good, I'll take that as a yes. The first one's at a barn owned by some guy named Kyle Smithereens." Robert turned back to his campfire and sat down. "Ya have until tomorrow evenin'. If ya not back by then…" He drew a finger across his neck to finish the statement.

Will took Serena's wrist and they rushed out of the cave.

"What just happened?" Serena asked when they were far enough away from Robert, back in the dim light shining between dead and dry tree limbs. She head her head in both in her hands as if she had a massive headache.

"I dunno, but it sounds like we're a-goin' to this Kyle guy's house."

Serena sighed. "Looks like we just escaped one mess to run into another." She looked around and said to herself, "This is gonna be interestin'."

* * *

Jason looked in various doors, trying to find Natalie. All he found was a massive kitchen, tons of spare bedrooms, and a library with shelves so tall, the tops of them almost disappeared out of sight. He hoped she hadn't left the property entirely, because that would make things more complicated.

Right when he was about to call it quits and head back to the training course, he spotted an open door leading to the balcony. He peered outside, and saw Natalie looking out over the edge, back facing him. Though an unusual sprinkle had started outside and heavy winds picked up, Natalie didn't seem to notice, staring out at Queue's thick green pastures.

Jason opened his mouth to say something, but was suddenly at a loss for words. What exactly do you say to someone a few yards away who didn't notice you were there, who most likely wanted to be left alone?

Natalie looked to the left, and probably seeing him out of the corner of her eye, spun around in surprise to face him. "What... what are you doing here?!" Her eyes narrowed. "Were you standing there the whole time?"

Jason quickly shook his head, already off to a bad start. "Uh, um, n-no. I just got here, y'all!" Seeing that she looked anything but happy to see him, he added, "The others, uh, sent me to check on you." That was a lie. He went looking for her himself. He didn't know why, exactly, but he told himself it was because he still felt bad about the tool incident.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "So they sent the thief who tried to steal my high quality tools that I spent over three months saving up for?"

Jason felt his face grow hot. "Hey, I'm sorry 'bout that y'all, okay? I thought it was riches! And it was only riches Robert would accept."

Natalie raised an eyebrow, curiosity overcoming her grudge. "That's right, you mentioned this lead bandit character before. You actually worked for him? The most notorious criminal around?"

"Yah." He walked over and leaned on the railing next to her. It really was a good view, with the pastures stretching for miles till they reached the border of the town. Beyond that was desert. _These are probably the only green fields left in this town,_ Jason thought.

"And how would _you_ have found the tools valuable?" pushed Natalie, looking back out at the distant desert. "You said that much before I called the sheriff, or Caleb, I guess I should now say, over."

Jason shrugged. "Just like to fix up ole junk, I guess. Make it into somethin' new. Recently I a-used a metal container to make a device that can perfectly toast bread!" He looked over at her blank expression. "Not that excitin', I know, but I never had time to make somethin' big."

Natalie shook her head. "No, that's still pretty impressive. This world could use more inventions. My dream is to have mine in every household, changing lives, even if future generations don't even realize it."

"Wait, so y'all like, an inventor?"

"Yeah, I know, most don't believe it either. Years back, I would have never seen myself with this life. Now I can't imagine being anything else." She turned to look at him. "So, what was it like, being a bandit?"

"Well, ya steal stuff."

"That's it? I was expecting more."

"Yep."

Natalie stared him down skeptically.

"Okay! Ya steal stuff, sometimes hurtin' people in the process, and overall it's a nasty, dirty life. Trust me, ya don't want to hear no more."

Natalie blew a piece of hair out of her face. "Why didn't you just get a job?"

Jason looked at her as if she had gone crazy. "There ain't jobs left in this town!"

"That's why you have to make your own." She lifted her face upwards, feeling the rain sprinkle down. "I love the rain," she said quietly. "Too bad it's so rare around here."

Jason gave her a funny look with the abrupt change in subject. "Well, are y'all coming back to the course? There's still lots of trainin' to be done if we're gonna defeat these zarnus, whatever they are."

Natalie sighed sadly. "I don't think I can do this, Jason. How are we going to defeat the one enemy Cowboy Queue never could? Besides, I have no fighting experience what so ever. I'll only be a burden to the team if anything."

Jason put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, think positive! If there's a whole fancy, ancient prophecy about us savin' the world, it must be true! And y'all not alone in the fightin' thang. I don't really know that much 'bout anythang except for stealin'. We'll get through this."

Natalie smiled the first real smile Jason had seen since he met her. "Thanks, Jason. I appreciate it."

Suddenly, a roll of thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Natalie shivered. "Let's get back to the training course before the storm gets much worse." She smiled up at Jason. "I want to give axe-dodging another shot."

* * *

Soul Stealer looked out of the zardthlu's hideout. There was a storm brewing. _The essssspritssss can't take water._ He thought. _I'll need to bring them in ssssssoon._ He looked over to Bagtha, who stood nearby. "Bagtha! I need you to call in the essssspritsssss. There'sss a sssstorm coming."

"But we need them out there to continue sssspying!" She protested.

"If you won't do it, I'll assssk Ssssspider." Soul Stealer said, already making his way over to the zarthlu in question.

Spider was sharpening a sword, and he looked up from his task as Soul Stealer was about to ask him to get the esprits.

Spider had apparently had been listening in on the conversation and replied, "Of coursssse, Ssssoul Sssstealer. I even heard another zarthlu sssssay it'ssss going to rain sssso hard fisssh are going to fall from the ssssky."

"And who sssaid that?" Soul Stealer wondered.

"Well, who elsssse than Gauldon?"

"I should have guesssssed."

"Anywayssss." Spider put down his sword and went to the entrance of the hideout and spoke in the ancient language to call the esprits back to the caves.

Soul Stealer watched as the esprits started returning. _Now we just need to sssssend out oursssselvessss to make up for them..._

* * *

 **Another hasty edit! I still have stuff to do; ugh, life is so insane! Also, I think I might change the posting schedule to every other weekend, that way there'll be more time for me to collaborate with Kendra and write the next few sections of this story. We're getting close to finishing it guys! We write a good chunk ahead, so don't be thinking this story is close to being done posting-wise; it's maybe sorta halfway? I don't know for sure. XD Anyways, till next time, have an exciting and fun next few weeks or week! :)**


	13. Someone's in Traaa-ble!

Chapter 13: Someone's in Traaaa-ble!

 **I officially feel like my soul has been sucked out of me, chewed up, and put back inside with that personal essay I had to write. And that history project I basically did all the work for in my group. And that geometry homework. And biology homework. And…you know what? Enough of the homework talk! I feel dead just hearing that word! How about…ice cream! I could use an ice cream right now! Leave a review with your favorite ice cream flavor below! (yep, I also officially lost it XD) To the next chapt!**

* * *

"That's some storm!" commented Stephanie, looking gloomily out the farmhouse window.

"Yeah," said Cam boredly. He was still tired from the day's extended training. It didn't help that that the whole time Lawrence had been a real pain in the neck. When he wasn't trying to trip him or set him up for failure, Lawrence glared at him with intense hatred. Cam swore Lawrence was about to go through the roof when he asked Clara if she saw where the pistol from target practice went. He had turned around to find out Lawrence had it.

"There's also somethin' different in the air," said Irene, deep in thought. "Somethin'...evil."

"What does evil smell like, y'all?" asked a very confused Jason.

"That's not...it doesn't... ugh, just never mind!"

A sudden boom of thunder sounded, causing everyone in the room to flinch. Cam threw another log into the fireplace. "Has anyone seen Kyle?" he asked.

Everyone shook their head.

"Last I've seen 'im he was grumbling 'bout how his cattle smell better than us," said Jason with an eye roll.

"What he means is that his cattle, scruffy barn cats, horse stalls, _and_ that dumpster in the back combined smell better than _him_." said Stephanie.

Irene burst out into laughter. "Good one, Steph!"

Cam laughed as well. "Anyways, y'all," he continued, "what should we do about dinne-"

"THIEVES! ABOMINATIONS! DISGRACES!" Yelling could be heard outside the barnhouse's front door.

Jason took a deep breath. "Here he comes, y'all. With another complaint!"

The door burst open, bringing in a whirl of wind and rain. In came Kyle, pushing two smaller figures in front of him. He slammed the door behind them, and shoved them into the middle of the room.

"I found 'em snoopin' round my horse stables!" Kyle exclaimed, pointing at his captives.

Cam looked the two newcomers up and down. They were young teenagers, a boy and a girl, dripping wet from the rain. They were distinctly wearing the brown and silver colors of the resistance.

The boy's brown eyes widened. "Smithereens?" he asked in surprise. He looked around the room. "Brown? Stormer?"

"I think I recognize them!" said Irene, stepping forward. "Hmm...Will and Serena, right? You're a few of the young recruits."

The two nodded.

"What are y'all doin' here?" asked Cam.

The two immediately began talking over each other, going into deep exaggeration over their tale.

"Whoa, slow down!" said Cam. "One at a time!"

The auburn-haired girl gave Will a glare, and took over the talking. "The mayor's officials caught up to us in the tunnels, and in the chaos, Will, Kimberly, and I were captured. They questioned us, but of course we didn't tell them anything. They put us in prison. But, tricking the guards and trapping them in our own cell, we started to escape. We then saw the mayor and some other creepy guy talking about their plans for capturing all us outlaws. And the mayor said he would let the creep have a high position in the government." Serena shuddered. "They found us, and the creep had his evil glowing minions charge after us. We ran, but Kimberly...Kimberly..."

She stopped, eyes filling with tears. Will put an arm around her, biting his lip.

"Then the two of us got out of there," continued Will, "and we met some bandit in a cave-"

"Enough!" interrupted Stephanie. "You're drenched, exhausted, and went through more tragedies in one day than someone your age would experience in five years. We'll talk about this tomorrow. Let's find you some dry clothes and somewhere to sleep." She took them gently by the shoulders and started to lead them up the stairs.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" exclaimed Kyle in a fluster. "Have y'all forgotten that this is _my_ house? _My_ property? _My_ possessions? I ain't letting some suspicious little kids stay here! They could be thieves as well for all I know! Y'all already ruined and tainted everythang I have!"

Everyone gave Kyle venomous glares. Cam stepped in front of him, crossing his arms. "If I remember correctly, our parent's will clearly said that you would make decisions concernin' the animals and stables, Natalie the crops and treasury, and me, the farmhouse itself. So, technically speaking, y'all have no right to tell me who and who not to let stay here."

The two brothers glared at each other for a good couple minutes till Kyle scoffed and turned away.

"Fine. Invite the whole town here while y'all at it! Ya disappear for who knows how long, and y'all think ya can just barge in here and order me around? Well, I'm goin' to the stables, where I'm _appreciated_." With that, Kyle went back outside, slamming the door.

Cam sighed, and sat back down. "I just can't get anywhere with him, y'all."

"Don't I know it," said Irene quietly, gazing out the window.

"Well, see what kind of food there is for dinner," said Stephanie, continuing up the stairs. "I don't know about you, but all this constant arguing is making me hungry."

* * *

"Now I'm hungry." said Cole.

Sensei Wu face palmed.

"Once again," Skylor said with a sigh, "the interruption has to do with food."

"Spooky," Jay commented randomly.

Sensei Wu opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by a _thump!_

All the ninja whirled around to find that Kai had fallen asleep and fell off the couch.

"What does this guy think he's doing?" Tia complained. "It's not _that_ far into the night!"

"It's night?" asked Lloyd blurrily. "Why is this story so long?"

"I might have been done if you didn't interrupt, my little sausages," Sensei replied.

"Anyways," said Ivy, "I have the perfect idea for what to do with Kai." She glared at him with an evil smile. Ivy got up and dragged Kai towards the edge of the room while everyone stared at her, confused at what she was planning and also at how Kai didn't wake up.

Ivy pulled Kai up to the large house plant in the corner and tied him up to it, grabbing a spool of Misako's yarn nearby and wrapping it around him several times. She brushed her hands together when finished and walked back to the rest of the team, sitting back down on the floor.

Sensei Wu blinked a couple times before saying, "Well, now that we have, uh, that done, I will continue."

"But I didn't get food!" Cole complained.

"And I didn't get pizza!" Lloyd added.

"No pizza for you!" Sensei replied, "I will continue the story so we're not staying up till four am."

The ninja were silent, waiting for Sensei to say his usual thing. Which he did.

"Now, sausages, _I will continue_."

* * *

The town began to quiet down in the fading light, shopkeepers closing up their shops and stands, and workers hurrying home. Carriages traveled down the rough street, stirring up clouds of dust. Lawrence and Clara made their way side-by-side towards home, avoiding attracting too much attention. Their father was already suspicious about their whereabouts as it is.

Clara stepped carefully over a ditch in the road. "So," she started, "what do you think about the whole Wild Roundup thing? None of us seem to be making much progress in training, except for maybe Stephanie."

Lawrence rolled his eyes. "I think Uncle completely lost his mind! Having us fight next to bandits, wanted fugitives, and insane farmers is one of the most ridiculous things he's ever done. On top of that, he got the idea from a library book!"

Clara's brow furrowed. "But so far everything the prophecy mentioned is coming true. Great evil: that'll be the zarthlus - check! Eleven individuals matching the prophecy's description - check!"

"Insane old man - check!" Lawrence looked over at her, worried. "You can't honestly believe that prophecy, Clara. I mean, we never even seen a zarthlu!"

"But Cam and the others say they saw-"

"Don't believe a word THAT THING says!" Lawrence interrupted fiercely. "He should have been hanged for kidnapping you! I don't know why he's still alive!"

Clara sighed in frustration. "Two things. First, I'm not a _kid_. For goodness sake, I'm a year older than you! I can take care of myself. Second, as much as I don't fully trust Cam, I can tell he's saying the truth. There is evil in this town, lurking in the shadows-"

"They brainwashed you! Clara, come to your senses! They are-"

He was interrupted when a carriage pulled by two white horses swerved in front of them and came to a creaky stop. It was made of smooth, dark wood, and had elaborate deep green curving designs on the door. Lawrence and Clara exchanged a fearful look. It was one of their father's carriages.

The coachman looked at them skeptically, then turned away as the carriage door opened. Out stepped Henry Porter, one of their dad's assistants.

"There you are!" exclaimed Henry. "Where in the world have you been? I've been looking everywhere!" Henry was only a few years older than Clara, and sorta like an older brother to Lawrence and Clara, having known each other for so long. "The mayor was this close to firing me!"

Clara winced. "Sorry about that. I had extra papers to grade. We're just making our way home right now."

Henry looked them over, not completely convinced, but not pushing it either, something both Clara and Lawrence appreciated. "All right, then. Come on, get in the carriage. The mayor wants to have a talk with you two."

Lawrence stepped towards the carriage, but Clara put an arm out, stopping him. "What _kind of_ talk?" she pressed.

Now Henry winced. "Let's just say it's not a _happy_ discussion."

* * *

After the short carriage ride, Henry led Lawrence and Clara into their fancy mansion home and towards their father's study, passing expensive furniture and exotic green hallways. Their family took the Green name to heart when building this place.

Henry stopped in front of the study's door. What sounded like a terse conversation sounded from inside. He knocked three times, and waited. The talking inside abruptly stopped, and after a few seconds Clara and Lawrence heard their father's voice say, "Enter."

Henry opened the door, and the three went in.

The study's walls were, of course, a dark green, and lined with bookshelves and maps. The fire in the brick fireplace crackled and snapped, the only noise in the room. And behind a massive wooden desk sat their father, the mayor. Standing next to him was a middle-aged woman, with long graying brown hair, wearing a simple but expensive beige dress with a green sash.

"Mom?" asked Lawrence, confused. "What are you doing here?"

Lawrence and Clara's mother, Martha Green, spent most of her time in the library, deciphering old texts and scrolls. Not in her husband's dreary personal study.

Their mother gave them a small smile. "Just discussing recent events with your father. Don't trouble yourselves over it." From the slight stiffness in her posture, the two could tell that their parents were arguing over something, but they knew neither would admit it.

Mayor Green turned to Henry. "Thank you. You may leave."

Henry saluted, gave Lawrence and Clara a reassuring nod, and left the room.

Then their mother turned serious, and she gave them a stern look. "What have you two been doing this past week? You're gone before the sun even comes up and don't get back till very late."

"Is that what you called us here for?" asked Clara, looking back and forth between them.

"Partly," said Mayor Green coolly. "Have a seat. We have much to discuss."

* * *

Soul Stealer was heading over to the mayor's place to check up on how the plan was coming along. He still doubted that Mayor Green would really uphold his part of the bargain, so a quick trip to remind him of who he would be going against shouldn't do any harm. He was going from bush to bush, not wanting any attention from the stray townspeople making their way home in the fading light. But through the slight drizzle that started up, he could spot two members of the Wild Roundup in the distance. He decided to stalk them.

"Really!?" Lloyd complained.

"We don't have time for this," Sensei Wu said, glaring at Lloyd.

"Fiiiine." Lloyd rolled his eyes.

As it turns out, these members were also heading to the mayor's place. After arguing about something, they got on a carriage that had come up being pulled by two white horses. Soul Stealer watched as they headed towards the mayor's mansion. He crept after them.

After getting to the mansion, he sat under the window outside the mayor's study to spy on the two members, the mayor, and another woman who were in the room.

"Have a seat." The mayor told the members, gesturing to two velvet chairs. "We have much to discuss."

 _Thissss isss bound to be interesssting..._ Soul Stealer thought.

* * *

 **Quite short, but time is of thee essence! Till next time y'all,** _ **ten una buena semana**_ **! ("Have a good week" in Spanish…I hope…I have a Spanish test I need to study for this week and have no idea what I'm doing XD)**


	14. Owl I Know

Chapter 14: _Owl_ I Know

 **Howda-day, y'all! It's been SO long! Wait, how long exactly…*old computer processing noises* like, three and a half weeks? Just getting into the website was a struggle; I almost forgot how to do it all. XD Ugh, life! At least I have a small break this week, so I have time to do this. Honestly, I just finished one project (I swear I did all the work in that one [incoherent grumbling]) and then in another class they're like, "Hey, we're gonna do a project!" *dies inside* 0_o But look, holiday season is here! Except, it's kinda weird seeing Christmas decorations in stores already. I mean, it's October! At least wait till November, people! Have some self-control! Anyways, that's enough ranting! I'm quite chatty after these three weeks! XD Hopefully, I can make this chapter a long one. ;)**

 **Anonymous7: Aww, thank you; wish you luck too! Homework is definitely the worst! Especially geometry, ugh! English used to be my favorite class, though I'm not super sure anymore. We write SO many formal essays like almost every weekend when honestly, I just want to read and write stories. :D And oo, favorite ice cream? Uh….has to be mint-chocolate Oreo! But almost any ice cream is good. Okay, I take that back; I heard there was a pickle and a bacon ice cream. That's going way too far! And my favorite color is also green! And I love reading, or listening to audiobooks when I make my breakfast cause I'm the first one up in my house in the morning and without an audiobook it's eerily quiet. XD I like hiking and spending time outside, or watching TV when I'm lazy. Which is most of the time. XD**

* * *

"First off, what _have_ you been doing this past week?" Mayor Green pressured, pacing back and forth in front of his desk, hands clasped professionally behind his back.

Lawrence and Clara shared a panicked look, not knowing what to say. Then Clara spoke up, improvising.

"Um," she started, "I had to work extra hours at the schoolhouse. There's this one student who needed extra tutoring, so I gave him guidance before school started. And um, there is more homework to correct these days. They're just learning so fast!" She gave an awkward chuckle.

Their father stopped his pacing and looked down at Clara, eyes narrowed. "Most _interesting_ ," he said. "I heard that the two teachers at the local school came down with the plague, and they had to be replaced with two rather unprepared ones. Yet here you are, healthy as ever, saying you were there the whole time, working over hours even. Most _interesting_ _indeed_."

Mrs. Green's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked over at Clara, concerned.

Clara twirled a ringlet of hair nervously. "Well, um, it was probably an exaggeration. I just didn't feel good one day, and had to leave early."

Now Mrs. Green looked suspicious. "Clara, darling, you come back to us one day after just being abducted by criminals saying, 'They forgot to lock the doors and we were able to escape,' and with no other explanation. And now you keep disappearing, obviously not heading towards the school." Her expression turned to worry. "Are you okay? Is something wrong, dear? You can tell me, you know."

Clara looked over at Lawrence, who, slightly shaking his head, gave her a look that clearly said, _You can't tell her._

Clara shook her head, managing a fake smile. "I'm fine, mother. Just busy and a little tired."

Mrs. Green returned a hesitant smile and said, "If you say so, dear."

Mayor Green then turned to his son, eyes narrowing even more with skepticism, if that was possible. "What's your side of the story?" he said coldly. "I've received reports saying you haven't been out collecting taxes like you're supposed to be doing."

Lawrence flinched. "I was overseeing the building of the new factory."

"You mean the one whose building project was put off till next week?"

"What? I-"

"Perhaps I should get to the point. What were you two doing at Queue's farmhouse?"

Both were at a loss for words. Even Mrs. Green looked like this was news.

Mayor Green smiled grimly. "That's right. The esprits prove to make excellent spies."

"Wait, what?!" Clara burst out, standing up. "What do mean, _esprits_?"

"That's the second thing I wanted to mention," said their father smugly. "This town will soon be rid of all crime and disorder!"

"How?" gasped Lawrence.

"The zarthlus aren't as bad as my brother thinks they are," he replied, pacing once more. "They made an offer to clean up this town and restore it to its former glory."

"But they really shouldn't be trusted at all," said Mrs. Green tersely. Obviously, this is what they had been arguing about.

The mayor shot her a glare, but didn't push it.

"They wouldn't have done it for free," Clara thought out loud, viscously twisting her hair. "Father, _what did you agree to d_ o?"

He shrugged, not looking anxious in the slightest. "A really simple request, to be honest. I doubt it'll cause any trouble."

Now Lawrence jumped up, patience completely gone. "WHAT DID YOU GIVE THEM?!" he shouted, fury in his voice.

Mayor Green sat back behind his desk, studying them. "I said I would give them high positions in the government."

"WHAT?!" both Lawrence and Clara exclaimed. Mrs. Green looked just as mortified.

"You never told me _that_!" she said, horrified.

Her husband shrugged. "Like I said, you needn't worry about it. I have everything under control."

"But..."

" _It's under control_. As for you two," he turned to Clara and Lawrence, "I don't care what Queue wants, but you are not going back to his barn of a house. You hear me?"

"No, father, you don't understand!" objected Clara. "He's having us-"

"Must I always repeat myself? I just said _I don't care_. Now, you two are to stay in your rooms for two weeks or until you learn to follow my orders!"

"You can't keep us cooped up like little kids!" retorted Lawrence.

Mayor Green smiled wickedly. "Oh, but I can and I will. I'll borrow some esprits if I have to."

He snapped his fingers, and in came eight officials. They took Lawrence and Clara roughly by the arms, pulling them out of the room. They struggled, but it was no use. They were too outnumbered for it to do any good.

Their father watched them go, looking actually sorry for the first time. "I know you two don't understand now, but I'm doing all this for your own good. You must learn your place in this life if you're to be successful. And unfortunately, you chose the hard way of doing things. Have a nice two weeks."

That was the last thing said before the door was closed in front of them. The siblings were hauled up the stairs towards their rooms. And to their prison.

* * *

 _Caleb ran through the woods, panting heavily as he ran around the dark, brittle trees with their bare branches extended outwards like clawed hands. The zarthlus and espirts were not far behind. He was dodging both tree branches and the arrows whizzing past his head. He dared not to look back; he knew if he did he'd lose this battle. But was it even a battle? All that happened was he was spying on the evil creatures, trying to find out what they were planning, and they spotted him. Then, the chase began. But the past didn't matter, all he knew now was to run for his life. He jumped to the side and ducked behind a large tree trunk that had fallen over. There was silence. Caleb took a deep breath and sat down on the ground, closing his eyes. He opened them back up to find Soul Stealer pointing an arrow right in front of his face._

 _"You can't escape that easily, member of the Wild Roundup." Soul Stealer said with the espirts behind him glowing brightly, excited that they caught someone. Then Soul Stealer smiled with wicked pleasure and released his grip on the bow's string._

Caleb woke up in a panic, sweat beading down his forehead. _Just another nightmare,_ he told himself. Although, they seemed to be happening more frequently ever since he joined the Roundup. He sat up and looked out his window. It was the middle of the night, the crescent moon hanging low in the sky. Caleb got up anyway. Maybe a walk would clear his mind. After getting ready, he set out.

He was still trying to figure everything out that had happened in the past week. He was just delivering Tessa Taylor to jail when Cowboy Queue had come up saying they were part of the Wild Roundup with nine others. Then they were to all train to defeat the bad guys. It was all insane, yet between the ghost things haunting the town and the whole prophecy ordeal, Caleb had no choice but to believe all of it. Even if it meant working with criminals and people he once tried to put into prison.

Then, as he was walking down the desolate road, out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone. It was Cowboy Queue. He was sitting by the river as if quietly meditating, and as if that wasn't a really weird and creepy thing to just be doing outside in the middle of the night.

"Cowboy Queue?" Caleb asked hesitantly, walking towards him. He didn't know if Queue would take too well to being interrupted.

Yet Queue just turned around as if meditating outside at night and having one of his students randomly show up right where he was meditating was totally normal. "Why yes, my little segasua," he replied calmly. "What brings you out here?"

"It's nothing," Caleb said. "Just a nightmare, I guess." He shrugged.

"Come sit." Queue gestured next to himself for Caleb.

Caleb was a little hesitant again, but deciding that Queue couldn't be entirely crazy, he did so. The night was completely quiet other than the river flowing in front of them. _Funny_ , Caleb thought, looking around at the empty landscape around the town. _Normally there are plenty of crickets and owls when it's dark_.

"Ah, you noticed the silence as well?"

Caleb flinched a little, surprised by Queue's sudden comment. "Uh, what?"

"The animals," Queue said, still looking up at the cloudless sky. "They're quiet. Do you know why?"

Caleb had a feeling he knew the answer, but settled for nonchalance. "No, why?"

Cowboy Queue raised an eyebrow. "You know why, my segasua. They sense the presence of evil in the darkness. Most left, or are keeping silent."

Caleb shifted uncomfortably at this. Changing the subject, he asked, "Do you come out here often?"

Queue answered, "Well, a lot more than before, now that I have to train eleven inexperienced fighters at the same time."

"Then why didn't you just do one at a time?"

"I was hoping you'd bond."

Caleb felt a little bit disappointed in himself. He tended to not talk to anyone else during the training exercises. Especially not to his sister, a sore subject in itself.

After some more silence, a twig snapped behind them. Caleb whirled around, but saw nothing. There was then a tap on his shoulder. The next thing he knew was that Queue had vanished. He was alone. Or, that's what he thought.

* * *

"Psst!"

Serena groaned in her sleep and turned over on the creaky cot. _Man, those screech owls were annoying!_

"PPSSSSSSTTT!"

Serena sat bolt upright. _Defiantly not an owl._ She peered through the darkness to the left. Nothing. She looked to the right. Nothing. She looked in front of her, and saw Will standing there.

With a loud, "Agh!", Serena tumbled off the cot in surprise, causing the floorboards to squeak in protest.

"For the love of St. Jon's cornfield, Will, y'all practically scared me to death!" she exclaimed, rubbing her bruised elbow as she got up.

Will blinked dumbly. "Well, I didn't expect y'all to jump through the roof from a simple 'psst'!"

"I did not!" Serena sat down on the cot and started to braid her hair back. "So, what exactly are ya doing here?"

"We need to go lookin' for the areoblade," Will said a matter-a-factly, picking up and examining a dark blue glass ornament. It was the only decoration in the room. "Then we need to get out of here."

Serena froze, stopping her braiding. "What? Now? Are y'all crazy? We finally found resistance fighters, the _leaders_ of the resistance no doubt, and ya want to _leave_? We're safe here, Will. They can help us. Not some psycho bandit we met in a cave!"

"They will never believe us," said Will, looking out the window. "They'll think we're just some crazy kids, seein' thangs and tellin' stories. Trust me, I've seen it all play out before." He turned back around to face her. "Besides, we already said we'll help him if he helps us."

Serena shook her head. "No, he _threatened_ us into helpin' 'im. But how's he gonna find us now? I'm not putting my trust in a bandit, and neither should you. We're better off here."

"Let's say they do believe us. What would they have us do? Sit around, locked inside, while they go and save the town. Just like what we did in the resistance! The most we ever did was polish guns and sweep floors. Y'all know how the mayor caught us? Because we had no means of defending ourselves! No weapons, because 'oh, they're too young to fight'! If you want to sit around and do nothin', be my guest, but I'm leaving!"

Will spun around and began to head out the door.

"Wait!" Serena jumped up. "You can't just go! We're wanted by the government. Walkin' in the open like that'll get ya killed!"

He paused in the doorway, but didn't look back. "That never stopped any other resistance fighter. Goodbye, Serena." Then he was gone.

Serena knew she should run after Will and join him. Kimberly would have. She never abandoned her friends. But look where that got her. Serena began to feel the familiar, sickening sadness go through her. She really didn't want to think about Kim right now.

She climbed back onto the squeaking cot. She was exhausted and miserable, and all she wanted to do right now was hide under the thick, wool covers and escape the world, if only for a few hours.

* * *

Will climbed down the stairs quietly, careful to avoid creaking steps. He still couldn't believe Serena had chickened out on him. He knew it was hard for her to lose her little cousin like that, but shouldn't that be motivation to keep fighting?

He didn't want to do this alone. He wanted to go back and beg Serena to come, tell her she needed to come. _He_ needed her to come. But he wasn't going to drag her into this again, especially after what happened to Kimberly. Besides, he didn't _beg_.

He made it down to the living room and looked around. He had no idea where to start looking for an ancient weapon in this mess of a house. _Serena would,_ he thought. _She's always been the smart one._ He quickly pushed thoughts of Serena out of his head. It didn't matter anymore anyways.

He started looking under couch cushions, but then realized that probably wasn't the most logical place for something sharp and pointy. He dug through cupboards, searched in drawers, and looked under furniture. After he had torn up the whole downstairs, he threw himself on the couch in defeat.

 _This is NOT goin' well! And I still have like, 50 acres to cover!_ Will glared at the glowing embers in the fireplace as if they held the location of the areoblade. After a few minutes, Will sighed, and turned his gaze upwards.

He froze, looking at the dusty decoration above the fireplace's mantle-a three-pointed ancient throwing star, skillfully crafted of blood-red steel. The aeroblade.

* * *

 **Whew! Chapter 14 up and ready! Hopefully time's on my side and I can go back to posting every other weekend. I-wait….is that a Christmas commercial playing?! No, not acceptable! Not in the slightest! *changes channels* That's better. So, till next time, have an amazing week(s)! Oo, and happy Halloween, if I don't post before then. My Halloween plans consist of going to school and eating loads of candy, then regretting my life choices on Wednesday. XD**


	15. The Witch of the Wooden Room

Chapter 15: Witch of the Wooden Room

 **Has it been a while or has it been a while? The answer is absolutely! XD If there's one thing everyone can agree on, it is that life, is insane. I'm not gonna make this author's note drag on too much because I'm ready to edit! I have my YouTube playlist turned up way loud, my desk somewhat organized, and my laptop ready to be used for something other than typing up papers for biology homework. Let's goooo!**

 _ **A few weeks later**_ **: Well…I still didn't get to posting this. That's…a bit depressing. I must get this posted before 2018! I MUST! XD**

* * *

The sky was already pitch black by the time Tessa began to near the bandit camp. Crossing her arms, she kicked a stone down the empty alleyway. She was still sulking from the training session that day. She was SO done embarrassing herself with each failed attempt, each ridiculous lecture Queue dude gave all of them concerning patience and determination. But John at least seemed to have plenty of patience, but even he was still going nowhere with these fighting techniques. _Honestly, that ole man is craaa-zy!_ she thought angerly. _We can't possibly kill thangs that are already dead! And get along? Psssht, heck no! Weeeelllll…except for Garbage and that Nat chic._

When Jason and Natalie had come back into the training room after Natalie's freak-out, Natalie was laughing hysterically at some extremely dumb and lame pun Garbage had made. Tessa's eyes had narrowed as she watched Jason blush furiously when he and Natalie bumped shoulders. The two also seemed to stick together for the rest of the training session, making jokes about their epic fails. They were _definitely_ getting sweet on each other. It made Tessa barf a little in her mouth and shudder just thinking about it. _And I thought seeing someone shot in the stomach was gross…_

Tessa continued to think about the disturbing things in life as she rounded the last dark alley-bend before the camp. Then she stopped dead in her tracks, taking in the scene in front of her.

The camp—if it could still be called a camp at this point—was swarming with flying esprits and shouting bandits. Tessa's eyes widened as she watched some of the bandits fight against the ghouls feebly, their pistols and knifes useless against the impenetrable attackers. Tessa saw someone who looked like Ronza jump on top of an old barrel and try to fend off the three zarthlus that ambushed her. A little ways away, a group of bandits were being tied up with some kind of glowing green rope and being shoved into barred carriages that sped off and disappeared out of sight like the hazy figures leading the attack. Swarming the whole camp border was a group of translucent skinned figures with beady red eyes.

 _Holy cows of India!_ Tessa took a few unsteady steps back, panic filling her. The camp was never really what she would think of as a home, but it was a living she had dedicated her life too for so long. It took her years to get where she was now. She had gone from a scared little girl to a respected and feared bandit known by all. And right now, she was seeing all of those years of painstaking work falling apart before her eyes.

Tessa shook her head, forcing herself to think. _There's obviously no way for me to fight these thangs_ , she thought rapidly. _Or stop them. But..._ She looked around, watching the bandits being carted away. _But I can follow them and find out what's goin' on._

Tessa first scanned the camp for the clearest path to her condo. There was fighting everywhere, but if she stuck to the shadow of the buildings next to her, the zarthlus might not notice. Taking a deep breath, she took a sharp right, running around the pandemonium. She passed swirling esprits and panicked thieves, dodging the fighting and blocking out the screams. Right now, she was focused on one objective: make it back to her place where she could hide and gather supplies.

She let out a strangled gasp when she felt a cold hand grab her arm in an iron grip, stopping her in her tracks and almost causing her to fall. Whirling around, she took a look at the culprit. It was one of those zarthlu creatures! Tessa saw that it was a female, but it didn't mean she was pretty. With wild frizzy maroon hair and bulging red eyes, she was downright terrifying. The zarthlu smiled wickedly.

"Well, well, if it issssn't one of thossse annoying roundup lackysssss," she crooned in a hissing voice. "Sssoul Ssstealer will be pleassssed to have you in hisss posssesssion."

Tessa tried to tug free, but the zarthlu only gripped tighter.

"Don't think you can essscape that easy, girl!" The fizzy-haired zarthlu pulled out a long knife with a deadly tip, and, forcing Tessa in front of her, pressed it to the back of Tessa's neck. Tessa bit her lip as she felt the small stinging pain that meant the knife had just broke the skin.

 _Think, you've gotten outta worse before!_ As she was force to march forward, Tessa remembered the tiny blacksteel dagger she had slipped into her vest's pocket at the last roundup meeting. She had been using it in practice, and because of the mysterious dark shine of the blade and the fact that no one was looking, she had swiped it off the table for herself. Queue had ranted plenty about the amazing potential of such a said metal, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah; Tessa had zoned out at that point. But she remembered something about its capabilities on the supernatural. _If I could just reach my pocket..._

Sensing what she was doing, the zarthlu grabbed her other arm and pulled both painfully behind her back. Tessa groaned and let out a curse.

"Get over here!" the female zarthlu shrieked at some nearby esprits. "Tie thisss one up before ssshe triessss anything elssse!"

That was when Tessa made her move. While the zarthlu had looked away for those few seconds, she violently jerked forward and twisted out of the zarthlu's grasp, wrenching her dagger out of her pocket. She rounded towards the zarthlu, dagger pointed out in front.

The zarthu looked down at the blade, back at Tessa, and then began to laugh. "Sssuch a tiny blade; how cute." The zarthlu twirled her much larger knife and struck an offensive pose. "Let'ssss have a little fun, ssshall we?"

Tessa didn't like the odds of this duel at all, which is why in a flash of movement too fast for the zarthlu to react, she pulled out her small pistol from where it was hidden under her vest and shot a blacksteel bullet, also stolen by the way, at the smirking zarthlu. The frizzy-haired zarthlu let out an enraged howl of pain and fury, but Tessa didn't bother to see how deadly her aim was. She sprinted into the middle of the chaos and toward the crumbling buildings, this time thinking that hiding in the shadows wasn't her specialty and weaving among the fighting was a better tactic. While she ran, she tucked the pistol back into her waistline. She had only a handful of blacksteel bullets after all, and they had to last.

Running into the entrance of old cobblestone townhouse, she hid behind the front wall, breathing hard. She waited for a few minutes, listening to the commotion outside get quieter and quieter till all she heard was the soft, whispery sound of the dark carriages wheels and the light clomping of the skeletal-looking horses' hooves. Tessa risked a peek around the corner. She just saw the last carriage disappear around the bend. _No time to pick up supplies._

She ran out of her hiding place and after the parade of prisoners. Catching up to the back, she tied her bandanna around her face and followed from inside the shadows.

* * *

After two hours of pure stalking, Tessa just gave up on being stealthy and simply dragged her feet. The procession led her through the abandoned part of town and out into the desert. The sky was just beginning to light into a dull blue grey. She could hear the zarthlus hissing, "Fasster, fasster!"

Just when she thought she was going to start sleepwalking, the carriages pulled to a sudden stop in front of a rocky hill. Tessa watched in awe as the leading zarthlus disappeared into the rock, with the esprits and carriages following. As she got closer, she realized it was a narrow cave entrance, expertly hidden in the rock.

It probably would have been good enough to turn around there, but curiosity got the better of Tessa and she slipped in behind the last carriage.

The inside looked like a simple rock cave corridor, and after several more minutes of walking, it opened up into a wide chasm that stretched into darkness side to side and up and down. Ramps went downwards left and right leading into the bottom of the chasm.

The carriages were driven to down the ramps and into the bottom of the wide, flat chasm. Tessa watched from above in horrified fascination as the esprits and zarthlus opened the carriages and shoved bandits out onto the ground, all trembling with fear. She jumped a little as the dark, wispy horses that were pulling the carriages seemed to fade and disappear into the air like mist.

On a raised dais to the left, four zarthlus gathered. With surprise, Tessa recognized the maroon-haired female zarthlu among the four, limping slightly.

 _My aim must've been off. Eh, I'm alive, so I guess it really doesn't matter. Stiiiiill!_

One of the zarthlus- _Must be that Soul Stealer dude_ -stepped in front of the others, raising one hand. Almost immediately the entire cave went quiet, all focus on Mr. Stealer-of-Souls.

"Welcome all," he said looking at the bandits with a tone that was anything but welcoming. "It'sss been a long night, ssso let'sss jusst get to the point. Bagtha, if you'd pleasse."

The female zarthlu stepped next to Soul Stealer, flashing that wicked smile of hers. "My pleasssure," she purred. Then she began to sing.

Tessa covered her ears immediately, remembering Queue saying: "Never listen to their spell casting. Once you hear it, they have you in their grasp." Maybe paying attention to _some_ lessons had its perks.

She saw the bandits' gazes turn from terrified, to transfixed, to glassy with no expression. Then they began to...to _change_.

Tessa watched open-mouthed as the smaller, more lean bandits slowly shrunk and changed color until they were bunches of floating green orbs, and the larger and stronger ones' skin turned sickly and eyes red. Esprits and zarthlus. Hundreds of them.

Bagtha's song ended, and she looked at her work with pride and stepped back.

"Asss I ssaid before," continued Soul Stealer smugly, "welcome, to our ranksss!"

Now all esprits and zarthlus hissed and cheered loudly, making the most terrifying pep rally ever.

Tessa pulled back from the ledge, breathing hard. This Stealer freak wasn't only rounding up the government's wanted list, but instead of finishing them off, they were being transformed into supernatural freaks themselves. An army. An army to destroy the town and take over the country, the world. Just what the prophecy said.

* * *

Kyle woke up to the sound of the rooster. He crawled out of bed and glared at the presence of the sun. He began performing the stretches he and the other roundup members were to do as instructed by Cowboy Queue. Somehow in one creepy way or another, Queue found out if you didn't. And that could lead to more laps and push-ups and meh, it just wasn't worth fighting it. After that and getting ready, he stumbled downstairs to the kitchen. There, he found a note that said the rest of his "guests" had left. Kyle rolled his eyes. He then got some breakfast, put on his cowboy hat, and went marching out the door.

Putting the saddle on a light-brown mare, Kyle hopped onto the horse. He passed through the dry woods on his way to the White Barn. He still had plenty of time, but he most literally in every sense had nothing else important to do. Then, with a distressed snort, his horse randomly started acting up. She jumped around and bucked as Kyle started hanging on the reigns for his life.

"Whoa, girl!" Kyle said, trying to calm the mare. "Whoooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

The mare seemed to get more aggravated at the sound of his voice, so Kyle just settled for hanging on and hoping for the best. Eventually, the horse seemed to calm a little, steadying to a slow walk. He looked around the quiet forest, wondering what spooked her. He saw something out of the corner of his eye. An espirit! Kyle tied the horse to a tree and started to hunt it down, not really thinking it through.

After a couple minutes of walking, he heard something behind him. _Snap!_ He slowly looked over his shoulder. _Was it the espirit?_ He thought, _No, an espirit wouldn't snap something. OR WOULD IT?_

Before he could properly have a full panic attack, something hard hit him in the back of the head and everything spiraled into black.

* * *

Kyle woke up, immediately blinking away the spots that danced in his vision, and tried to take in his surroundings. He was tied up to some pole, and when he tried to move his arms, he found that the feat was barely possible due to the tightness of the ropes. He was in a dimly lit room of wooden walls with lots of strange bottles filled with colored liquids lining dark, wooden shelves that seemed to be carved out of the walls. A heavy looking wooden table filled most of the room, filled with bubbling concoctions held over fires and strange assortments of herbs and leaves laid out next to waiting glass bottles. If he craned his neck, he could see there were ancient looking texts on the table as well with swirly looking handwriting _. I'M IN A WITCH'S HUT!_ Kyle began to hyperventilate. _I'M GONNA BE MADE INTA SOUP!_

When a woman suddenly entered the room sporting a long, dark gray cloak with the hood hiding most of her features except for glowing green eyes and white-blond hair, Kyle felt his theory instantly proven.

"You're finally awake," she said coldly, gaze sweeping over him as she reached over and plucked one of the vials bubbling over a fire out of its stand. If the hot glass burned her at all, she didn't show it.

"Who are ya?" Kyle asked suspiciously, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"I'm just a humble dealer in rare goods; such as poisons, spells, and evil recruitment." She smirked with satisfaction as she held the vial in front of her face, examining it purposefully.

"Evil recruitment, y'all?"

"That's what I said!" The young woman poured the contents of the vial into a bottle, the thick purple liquid moving like molasses.

"So, why exactly do ya have meh tied up?"

"I didn't tell your friend; so why would I tell you?" She carefully set the now-empty vial on a velvet cloth and put the cork in the glass bottle.

"Meh friend?"

The woman rolled her glowing eyes in annoyance as she set the bottle of purple molasses on a high shelf next to a bottle of something green and sickly looking.

"What?" Kyle complained. "Wouldn't ya be curious if y'all were tied up by someone y'all didn't know?"

"Oh, but I already know who you are from the zarthlus," she said slyly, grabbing a stone mortar and pestle and grinding some dark-leafed herb into powder.

"You work with them?!" Kyle asked in surprise.

"No, I control them, although, they don't know it." She dumped the powder into a fresh vial.

"What?!"

"I've already said too much..." She trailed off, scanning one of her creepy books before grabbing another herb and grinding it too.

Kyle tried to think though everything he just learned. Is this the real person they should be after? If they do defeat the zarthlus, she'd just come back with a different army, if she is to be believed. And looking at the spell books stacked on a nearby shelf, it seemed possible. _Scaredy cat._ He thought, _She needs others to win the battle for her!_ The thought was interrupted the loud slam of a heavy wood door. Kyle looked up to see that the strange woman had left.

Kyle tried to think of a way to escape as he struggled with the ropes on his wrists. Maybe if he paid more attention during the training lessons he'd know how to get out. But he was trapped now, trapped in some witch's wooden hut with no clear way of escape.

* * *

John was about to leave his house to embark for the next meeting of the Wild Roundup, but he sensed something outside. He peered out the window to see homeless people crowding outside with... cardboard boxes? John blinked a few times to make sure that's what he was actually seeing. It was. He stepped outside, and all eyes turned to him.

"What would be the meaning of this?" he asked in polite confusion.

"Oh, we were just gettin' together!" one guy casually said, putting down his box.

"In front of my house?"

"I guess, y'all!"

"And the boxes?"

"Well, these here are all weh own and we pretty much live in 'em by the streets."

John stood there very confused. _This does not compute!_ He thought.

"Do yah reallah give out free food?" a woman asked, looking at John hungrily.

"Um…" John hesitated, not wanting to encourage more campers outside his house.

"Wheel just be a-waitn' 'ere for some grub, than!" the first man said, placing another box beside the other he set down.

"Uh, and I'll just be on my way then," John said. He started walking away hastily, thinking, _that sure was... an experience._

* * *

Jason's stomach growled loudly as he and the other resistance members made their way to the White Barn. Now he really regretted burning those eggs this morning. But it really had sounded like Cam said _twenty_ minutes!

"What in tarnation happened?!" Cam had loud-whispered, waving the pan of black, smoking eggs in the air. After the argument he had with Kyle last night, they were trying to leave without him noticing. And that meant whisper-yelling. "I said ten minutes! TEN minutes, y'all!"

Jason had taken a step back. "Um, I heard twenty..."

"Haven't ya ever cooked before? Everyone knows eggs are never cooked that long!"

"Well, I _have_ never cooked eggs before y'all!" Jason shot back. "We don't exactly have farm-fresh eggs every day on the bandit camp!"

Cam's expression softened a little then, but only a little. He sighed, pulling a hand through his hair. "Guess we ain't havin' breakfast today then," he said, dumping the burnt eggs out the open window.

"What happened?" A voice asked.

Cam and Jason both looked up to see the girl, Serena, looking down the stairwell at them.

"Nothin'," Cam said, scraping at the pan. "Jason here just burnt breakfast."

Serena nodded as if this was entirety expected.

"It was an accident y'all!" Jason objected, face heating up. "He said twenty! I swear!"

"I thought we agreed we had to leave _quietly_." Stephanie came up behind Serena, arms crossed. "What's going on?"

"He burnt the only eggs," Cam said again, pointing at Jason.

"Ah," said Stephanie without surprise. "That explains it."

"What?" Jason sputtered. "Y'all actin' like-"

"What is this commotion?" Irene exclaimed, rushing down the stairs. "Are we under attack?"

"Attacked by Jason's cooking skills," said Stephanie.

Irene relaxed, nodding. "Oh, okay."

"What is goin' on?!" Jason demanded. "Y'all seem to _expect_ me to be a terrible cook or somethin'-"

"Ssshhhh!" everyone had said, glancing nervously up the stairs.

Jason then scowled, crossing his arms.

But that wasn't the only trama that early morning. Serena had told them that Will left, and glancing at the fireplace mantle, it wasn't too hard to connect the dots to the missing weapon decoration.

"Now Kyle's really gonna kill me," Cam mumbled, running a hand along the dusty mantle. "Serena, you'll just have to come with us. Now, let's go, y'all, before I become breakfast!"

So now they were all walking to Queue's barn, and a long walk it was. When they had finally reached the front door, all of them were breathing hard. The maid seemed to do a double take when she opened the door and saw all of them panting heavily.

"Who's this?" she asked nervously, looking at Serena.

"Just one of our rookies," Cam said tiredly. "We couldn't leave her alone, so we brought her with us."

Looking at Serena's expression, Jason could tell she felt like she was being treated like a six-year-old, and didn't like it. After all, she couldn't have been younger than fourteen.

The maid still looked nervous, but opened the door the rest of the way for them. "The young lady can wait in the parlor during your training," the maid said.

Sulking, Serena reluctantly followed the maid towards the parlor, sending Jason and the others jealous looks.

"I remember those days," Stephanie said with a smile. "At that age, I was always looking for danger and adventure. Boarding school didn't cut it."

"Wait, boarding school?" Jason asked in surprise. Only the richest of the rich could afford that!

Stephanie's smile faltered. "Um, it's a long story. Anyways, let's go to the training room. We're running late."

* * *

 **Oh, my muffins, it's been so long since I did one of these after-chapter author's notes! I…what should I say? Oh, first of course, happy New Year! This year sped by and also crawled by for me. Slowly fast. Every time. XD Well, I don't know how soon the next posting will be, but till then, have an amazing week(s) and an amazing new year! ;) Cookies and waffles! (::) (#) (::) (#)**


	16. I'm the MAAAPPP!

Chapter 16: I'm the MAAAPPP!

 **I don't even bother counting how long it's been anymore. It doesn't matter! XD Btw, did you know that there are pancake and syrup flavored Peeps? Like, how, question mark? Anyways, chapter sixteen, everybody! Everybody who still bothers to read this, anyways. :'D**

* * *

Once they had all separated to the changing rooms to pull their uniforms on, they regrouped outside where all the training equipment was set up and ready. The Cowboy Queue had ordered that they wear their new, matching uniforms all practices. The expensive flexible black leather didn't have any of them complaining, though wearing the black bandannas as well was overdoing it. Tessa had been ranting a few days earlier about how she felt it was an injustice to have to match outfits with some stuck-up, snobby, no-good high-class aristocrats. Queue had given her a glare and a demand for twenty pushups. He had also given a lecture on how "you are now to be equals in training and in spirit, and therefore you should all look the part" or something deep like that. Jason had to admit, the matching outfits were kinda…weird. But they were all trimmed with assorted colors for quick identification, at least, so they weren't completely matching.

Jason pulled on his gloves, trimmed with a dark blue around the wrist, as he walked into the now closed-in space behind the White Barn. It looked exactly like it was: a hasty attempt at secrecy using unpainted picket fences and long dried-up logs to create an enclosure around the dusty circle of land. Jason remembered that "training" session. They were straining to push the huge logs into place while Queue sat comfortably nearby, drinking a large glass of iced tea. Adding insult to injury. Jason was still salty about that.

Reaching the training circle, Jason was surprised to see that the only other roundup members there, beside himself and the other resistance members, were John and Natalie. He hurried over to where Natalie stood by the target practice, fiddling with a pistol. When she looked up and saw him, she gave him a friendly smile and set the pistol carefully down.

"Hello, again," she said, putting her turquoise-trimmed gloves back on. "I would say you're late, but it seems like everyone else is too."

"Yeah, 'bout that," started Jason, leaning against the table holding the weaponry, "do y'all know where they all are?"

Natalie shrugged. "No, I don't." But then she turned to Jason, tone serious. "But I have heard...news."

Jason was about to ask what this news was when Cowboy Queue burst through the back double doors, looking around as if flustered. Then, seeing just the six of them, his shoulders seemed to slum.

"It's just as I feared," he said to himself.

"Whoa, what?" said Irene from the other side of the circle. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"Yes," sighed Queue. "I fear the others are in trouble."

This caused a stir among the group, and anxious whispering started to fill the enclosure.

Jason leaned towards Natalie and whispered, "What is this news of yours?"

Natalie swallowed nervously. "The newspaper this morning reported that the all the bandits in the slums have mysteriously disappeared. Signs of a struggle have been spotted, including shredded tents, scattered stolen wares, burnt buildings, and...blood. Lots of it." Natalie shuddered, but quickly continued. "There's also conspiracy theories that the mayor's children have been imprisoned by their own father. I thought it was just the usual rumors and nonsense, but...now I'm not so sure."

Jason blinked, thoughts racing. If Lawrence and Clara were trapped by their father, that would explain why they weren't here. But that still left the question of, why? And Tessa...could she be dead? He always thought he'd rejoice the day Tessa finally disappeared for good, but now...now the thought kinda sickened him.

"AHEM!"

Everyone's attention went back to Cowboy Queue, who looked impatient and snappy.

"We must take action," Queue said, looking at each of them in turn. "Without the other five, we have no chance of defeating this evil."

"First, I think it would be logical to determine the others' general location and conclude whether they are really in peril," John suggested suddenly, making those who forgot he was there jump a little.

Queue nodded. "I know my niece and nephew are held captive in my brother's home, and something tells me they hold very valuable information."

"Something just _tells_ him?" Jason murmured to Natalie.

Queue's gaze swiveled to Jason, eyes narrowing. Jason immediately drew silent and looked away.

"As I was saying," Queue started again, "I saw tracks leading into the forest this morning and I can believe that they are Kyle's and Caleb's and someone else's. But there are none leading out."

"Why in the world was Kyle in the woods?" Cam thought out loud, confused.

"And why...why would Caleb be with him?" Irene asked, looking uncomfortable about mentioning her brother.

"That is still to be discovered," Queue said. "And lastly, as I think most with newspaper subscriptions already know, the bandit hideouts have been abandoned, and not willingly. It either could be the government trying to bring down crime sneakily, or something more sinister. But it would explain Tessa's absence."

"Well," began Stephanie, "what are we going to do?"

"I believe the best and speediest way to handle this would be to split into three groups of two and track our missing members down," Queue replied. "But, you must remember, in order for this to work you must be constantly on your guard, and even more important, _you must work together_."

The six looked at each other unhappily, but nodded, determined.

Cowboy Queue let out a sigh of relief. "I'm happy to hear that. Now, pick a partner and I'll assign your mission."

Irene and Stephanie instantly linked arms, exchanging excited looks. Cam rushed over to stand by John.

"I'm with the smart chap, y'all!" he exclaimed.

That left Jason and Natalie.

Turning towards her, Jason faked an extravagant bow and put on a dazzling smile. "I guess that leaves us. Would ya do me the honors of partnerin' up with me, milady?"

Natalie rolled her eyes and shoved him away. "Like I really have a choice anyways."

Jason stood back up and couldn't help smiling smugly, noticing Natalie's blushing. She glared at him, biting her lip to hide a smile.

Queue took in the pairs and sniffed, as if he couldn't possibly believe he was putting his trust in these people.

"I'll now give your assignments," he said loudly to get their attention.

He first turned to Irene and Stephanie. "You two will go in search of Caleb and Kyle. This may be one of the most difficult missions, since they could be anywhere in the woods. But if I remember correctly, Irene, you have well developed tracking skills."

But at that point Irene wasn't listening. All color had drained from her face, and even Stephanie was giving her a concerned look.

"Um, can you reassign our mission?" Irene asked weakly. "Things aren't the best with Caleb and me right now."

"You all agreed to get along and work together," Queue replied sternly. "And the first step in that is to settle these petty grudges and become a team."

Stephanie tried to give Irene a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but Irene shrugged it off and looked away, biting her lip.

"Next," continued Queue, looking at John and Cam, "you will go after Lawrence and Clara."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up now, y'all!" Cam interjected. "Have y'all forgotten that this Lawrence jerk practically hates my very guts right now? He'll prob'ly murder me the moment he lays eyes on me!"

"Then don't let him," Queue said, undeterred.

Cam scowled, and Jason could hear him mutter, "Pickin' favorites. Ain't surprised."

Ignoring Cam's comment, Queue lastly turned to Jason and Natalie. "That will leave you two to track down Tessa. The best way to go about this would be to start looking for clues at the abandoned camp."

Jason groaned. _I take back what I thought earlier. I really hope she's dead._

He was about to argue, but Natalie gave him a glare that said, _There's no point in trying._

"Now that that's taken care of, I suggest you gather your weapons of choice and set off," Queue announced. "We'll meet back here by sunset. Even if you don't succeed in finding who you were assigned, _come here before dark._ It is imperative that you're not out at night. Dangers unimaginable stalk this town at night. I have rooms here you'll be able to stay in."

Everyone rushed to the weapons table to grab their favorite instrument, except for John, who looked at Queue strangely.

"And what will you be doing, teacher?" he asked. The five at the table froze and stared at Cowboy Queue, realizing John made a very good point.

"I have things of my own to attend to, young segasua" Queue said simply. "I'll see you this evening." He headed towards the door, paused, then added, "But first I need to have a delightful discussion with our friend Serena."

* * *

It had only been one day, one day since his dad had sent him up to his room like some naughty three-year-old, and Lawrence was already restless. Before his uncle came into the picture, he always out and about, collecting taxes, overseeing court meetings, and being a representative for his father at meetings he couldn't attend. Now because he joined the Wild Roundup, he and Clara were stuck in their rooms guarded by esprits for the next two weeks. Bad karma, was that what they called it? He needed to _get out_. He also needed to tell Queue his dad's plans with the zarthlus and esprits before it went too far.

Lawrence brainstormed. Maybe next time Henry Porter came in he'd make his move... But what would be the good in that? Esprits were floating around everywhere. _Ugh, think_! He could go out the window! Lawrence, though, already knew it was a lost cause, looking at the locks holding it tightly shut. It wasn't that necessary that kept him from trying; it was the knowledge that by the time he would get close to figuring out how to lockpick, some zarthlu or other would come in and catch him red-handed. Literally too, probably, after tugging on that lock for so long.

He sat on his bed with his chin in his hands and zoned out while looking at the door. A moving green glow of an esprit could be seen under the crack. He continued to glare at it as it went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth...

He was about to fall asleep when the sickly glow under the door was replaced by a dark shadow. Lawrence could hear the door being unlocked with a series of sharp clicks. Lawrence raised an eyebrow. It was too early for it to be Henry. The door creaked open, Lawrence staring at it suspiciously. A translucent hand could be seen coming from behind the door. Lawrence slowly got up from his bed and started walking backwards to the far wall, not wanting to be too close to whatever creepy character was coming in.

Lawrence was right up against the wall when the figure, which he realized was a zarthlu, entered in.

"Ssssso, I finally have a member of The Wild Roundup alone..." the zarthlu hissed wickedly, tongue sliding over his fangs threateningly. "And to think that it jussst happenssss to be the chosssen one of the group? How quaint."

Lawrence just stood there, not knowing what to say. He noticed that the zarthlu was weaponless.

"Well, it lookssss like thingsssss are about to physssssical." The zarthlu said cracking his knuckles. "I sssay we end thisss now and get it over with, sssshall we?"

With lightning speed, the zarthlu threw out his fist in an attempt to knock Lawrence out right then and there. Lawrence ducked the coming blow. _I hope all that training will prove itself worth it right now._ Lawrence tightened his fist and prepared to strike back with a blow of his own, but the zarthlu caught his wrist and twisted it behind his back. Lawrence gritted his teeth and elbowed the zarthlu in the gut, making him lose his grip and fall back a little. Lawrence stood his ground, now prepared for the next attack from his opponent. But he had forgotten about the esprits until it was too late. The esprits came swirling into the room in a tornado of green. Lawrence tried to punch those, but it was as effective as trying to hold smoke. His fist went right through the little green orbs harmlessly, though the esprits let out collective hisses and didn't seem to appreciate the gesture. He didn't know what to do. In the confusion, Lawrence saw the furious zarthlu came back his way, murder gleaming in his eyes.

* * *

Irene and Stephanie walked near the dry forest's edge. It was just a little past noon, but the air already seemed cooler. The gnarled trunks of the trees leaned toward the two girls, looking somewhat threatening in their twisted forms. That didn't help with the unease already building up in Irene. She saw Stephanie boldly march into the forest, carefully following the rough hoof-prints in the now-hardened dirt. Irene stood there swaying a little, doubts filling her head in waves.

Noticing her partner wasn't following, Stephanie looked back and asked, "You coming?"

Irene stopped swaying and bit the inside of her cheek. She had a bad habit of doing that when she was uneasy. She said, "But, do ya think we'll be able to see the time? The trees are gonna cover up the sky. Ya know, Queue said we had to be back before dark. It might not be a good idea to head out 'ere today! Let's try tomorrow instead!" She didn't normally ramble like this, never rambling like this. _Ugh, I'm going crazy_! Luckily, Stephanie cut in.

"But Queue also said we had to become a team! So, whatever problems you have with Caleb will have to be resolved. And do you want me to turn into a walking talking meme? 'You said tomorrow, but now tomorrow is today; so just do it'? Come on, let's go."

"One question: what's a meme?"

"Actually…I don't know. It just sounded like the right word for that moment."

Irene sighed as she and Stephanie went into the woods. A strange, dusty fog thickened the deeper they went in. But Irene could still kind of make out the footprints, following them carefully with Stephanie close behind. Then suddenly, the footprints ended.

"They end 'ere." said Irene, pointing to the spot, "Well, we tried!" She started to walk back, but it was clear that Stephanie wasn't ready to quit. She bent down and messed around with the dirt and dead leaves' placement.

"What are ya doin'?" asked Irene.

"Well, footprints don't just _end_ ," said Stephanie.

Irene stared nervously at Stephanie as she continued to dig around the leaves. Seeing nothing, she started to stand up, putting a hand against the nearby tree for extra support. As soon as she touched it, though, a hidden door in the tree swung open causing Stephanie to almost loose her balance. The two girls jumped a little as it slowly creaked open.

"Well, it looks like this is where we go!" said Stephanie, shrugging as if she came across tree-houses every day.

"Don't ya think we should tell Queue and the others that we a-found this before we jump in'o it?" Irene asked, trying to stall.

Stephanie thought for a second. "Okay, you have a point. You can find this place again, right?" she said as she closed the door.

Irene nodded eagerly, surprised that Stephanie was so quick to agree. "I'm pretty sure!"

"Okay, let's go back and report!"

Irene gave a sigh of relief to herself. It seemed impossible to face her brother again, not after... that.

She then noticed Stephanie giving her a weird, sorta _knowing_ look. "What?" she asked slowly.

Stephanie just shrugged and looked away, briskly taking the lead. "Nothing," she said a bit too lightly.

Irene just shrugged herself as she followed Stephanie out of the forest.

* * *

"Sooo….John, do ya know how to get to that ole' mayor's house from here?" Cam looked expectantly at John. They were walking back to town from the White Barn, noon already approaching. Cam had no idea where the Mayor Green's mansion was from here—well, he had a very _basic_ idea, but it'll probably take a few hours. And they didn't have _a few hours_.

"I believe so," John replied, still staring straight ahead. "I also have a map of the town and surrounding countryside just in case it's necessary."

"Wow, y'all really thought of that?" Cam asked, secretly relieved. "Do ya have a map of towns Farbanko and Gallohai as well?"

"Well, yes," stated John. "I also have maps of the surrounding countries and continents, including Eurisasusa, Jarjago, Navejo, Biw-"

"Okay, okay, partner!" Cam interrupted, not interested in a geography lesson. "I feel very… _located_ now."

John tipped his head slightly to the side, looking a little confused. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe the word you're looking for is-"

"Oh, whadayouknow, I think that's the mayor's mansion right over there!" Cam said quickly, done with being schooled. He sped quickly ahead, leaving John no choice but to jog to catch up to him.

After a few more minutes of walking around buggies, vendors, running children, and gaggles of chatting townsfolk, John and Cam began to near the richer section of town. Tall, extravagant mansions and townhouses towered over passing villagers, their shining windows practically beaming with arrogance.

"Wow, I've never been here before, but it's exactly how I woulda imagined it," commented Cam, looking around with mild distaste. Then he turned to John, looking him up and down. "But somethin' tells me y'all have."

John flushed slightly, looking—Cam thought with surprise—a little guilty. "Well yes, I live here in fact." He pointed to a small, very pale blue townhouse visible behind the two mansions to their right. "3556, Pristine Lane SW."

Cam blinked a few times, looking at it skeptically. "Y'all mean the one with all the homeless chaps with the cardboard boxes in front of it?"

A group of ten or more people in shabby clothes sat in the front yard around a small fire, a circle of boxes laid out behind them as if they were simply ranchers camping for the night.

John nodded slowly. "I may have taken the quality of generosity a little too far in regards to my pantry, and now I fear they may have come under the influence that they'll have the privilege of camping in my front yard."

Cam stared at him. "Haven't y'all ever heard 'Don't feed the bears'?"

John looked even more confused this time than the last. "They're people, not bears."

"Y'all gotta be careful, cause some of them act like it!" Cam said. "Some will do anythang for food these days."

They continued walking in solemn silence, turning down streets of large houses. Looking closely, Cam could see that some of them were abandoned, boards over the doors and windows. Others looked like they weren't well kept, lawns and gardens beginning to die and paint starting to peel. As much as he wouldn't care to admit it, Cam could tell that the high class was facing difficulty from the declining economy as well.

"Our destination should be just around this corner," John said, breaking the silence. "I believe it is the largest house in this community, and it should stick out from the bright exotic green color of its paint."

Cam rolled his eyes. "This mayor is really creative, isn't he? Mayor Green: green house."

John, once again, looked puzzled. "But wouldn't that mean he's not creative?"

Cam gave an exasperated sigh. "I was being _sarcastic_."

"Oh. I've never been that accustomed to that concept."

"As I can see."

Rounding the bend, it was soon visible that John's calculations were right. A giant green mansion dominated the square, surrounded by a lavish garden and bubbling fountain, green riding pastures, fancy horse stables, and holding too many windows to count. Cam now felt sure he could find it from miles away; it towered over every building he had ever seen.

"Now I have proof; that Lawrence isn't just a brat, he's a _spoiled_ brat!" Cam exclaimed.

"Thoughts like that will make unity much harder to accomplish," John said slowly.

"Unity with ' **THAT** ' will never happen with his attitude!"

"You can at least give it a try."

"Humph!"

Cam turned back to the mansion, and changing the subject said, "How do ya suggest we get in, Smartypants? Should we just knock on the door and see if they'll let us in?"

"That would be the polite and respectful thing to do," John said brightly.

"That was also sarcasm! They wouldn't let us in! We have ta break in, y'all!" Cam exclaimed.

"That doesn't seem very law-abiding."

"Of course it isn't! The laws 'round here have to be broken! Now come on, let's try to find a window out of view from the rest of the neighborhood."

Cam set off towards the back of the house. John gave a sad sigh and reluctantly followed close behind. They snuck around the hedges, trying to keep out of sight of any suspicious eyes. Suddenly, John stopped short, and put in arm out in front of Cam to make him do the same.

"What now?" Cam asked in a harsh whisper. "We don't have time-"

He cut off when he saw what John was pointing at. Two figures were making their way around the building, as if doing security rounds. But that wasn't too out of the ordinary. What really set things off was the sickly green orbs of light following behind, looping back and around as if making sure nothing was missed.

"Esprits," John said quietly. "And considering how they seem to be working together with the mayor's personal sheriffs, they are on the same side."

Cam felt his stomach drop. He thought the worst they would face would be Lawrence's murderous temper and a manic father. Not Soul Stealer's own troops, working _with_ the mayor. Oh, snaaap.

Once the squad of five disappeared around the corner, John motioned forward. "We should hurry. If it's true Soul Stealer and Mayor Green are conspiring together, Lawrence and Clara could be in grave danger. I sense many evil presences beyond the windows."

"Y'all sure it ain't Lawrence yer sensing?" Cam said bluntly.

John blinked. "Yes."

Cam sighed. "There's no gettin' to you, is there?"

They continued around the house, more cautious this time, until John stopped under a high-up window.

"I believe this is the window to Clara's room above us," John said. "I sense it's locked, but we should be able to break it if need be."

"Oo, vandalism? Now y'all talking!" Then Cam frowned. "Wait a second y'all, two things: one, how do ya know that's Clara's window, and two, how do we get up there?"

John answered in chronological order. "Clara and I were friends for a long time. I've been here before."

" _Close_ friends?" Cam pushed, smirking.

John blinked again, expressionless. "Not in the way you're thinking of."

"Meh," was all Cam said, now looking bored. "So, what about the second thing? How are we getting up there? The walls are smoother than glass, y'all!" Cam noted.

"The grape trellis three feet away."

Cam looked to the left. "Oh…"

* * *

 **Ugh, I love Zane/John so much! He's the best! XD And wow, I ate way too many Kix editing this thang. Anyways, once again, I hope you all have a splendid week! Happy late Valentine's Day! Happy late Singles' Appreciation Day! Happy late discount on tons of chocolate day! X) 'Till next time, y'all!**


	17. The Fault in Our Dusty Stars

Chapter 17: The Fault in Our Dusty Stars

 **Suuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr! I can sleep for once, clean my room for once, and type something other than informative essays for once! I have…what is that word, that unfamiliar, sweet word…I have** _ **time**_ **for once! Oh, the blessed profoundness of summer vacation, how I needed you! If you can't understand my random monologue there, I'm basically saying I'm on summer vacation, finally. :'D Hopefully I can finally post more and possibly we can finish this story by the end of the summer! It feels like it has been going on forever, but really it's just my inability to post during track season. And any other season, to be honest. But on to…chapter seventeen? I think?**

* * *

Even in the midday sun, the scraggly forest gave off all that portrayal of doom and gloom as Will made his way towards the cave where he and Serena met Robert. He pushed aside a tree branch in front of him just to have the dry wood break off with a sharp _snap_ _!_ Will cringed at the noise, looking down at the broken branch lying by his feet. It did nothing to boost his confidence.

Stepping over the branch, Will fingered the red aeroblade hidden in the inner pocket of his fraying brown jacket. He was, admittedly, feeling a little guilty from swiping it right from that farmhouse. He just hoped it wasn't that important of a family heirloom. It was pretty rusty, after all.

 _Drip... Drip... Drip..._ was all Will could hear as he entered the cave. He walked into the stony darkness, following the light of a single lantern set on a table-like slab of stone in front of him. He paused when he reached the lantern and looked around nervously.

 _Drip…drip…drip…drip…clamp-clomp-drip…clamp-clomp-drip…_ Will started slightly when he realized that the dripping was now accompanied by approaching footsteps. The nervous patter of his own heartbeat rang so loud in Will's ears that it took a few seconds to notice the buzzing coming from his jacket pocket. He quickly fished the aeroblade out and dropped it with a yelp. It was _glowing_ , as well at vibrating with a low hum. The panicked young teenager stepped back from the paranormal weaponry just as a shadow moved in the corner of his vision. Will looked wildly around and sighed in relief when he saw it was just Robert making another unnecessarily creepy entrance.

"I can see ya found it," Robert said, most of his face hidden in the shadows of his hat.

"Yeah. But why's it doin' this?" Will asked, pointing to the vibrating and glowing weapon with a shaky finger.

"It's normal," Robert replied, bending down and picking up the aeroblade. He held it up as if inspecting it. A wicked small stretched out on his face.

"You're provin' to be more useful than I thaught!" Robert continued, turning his gaze on Will. The areoblade began to dim and return to normal. "Say, where's that little friend of yers? The stubborn sharp-tongued one."

Will swallowed. "She's…she's caught a fever and stayed back."

Robert scoffed. "I coulda come up with a betta lie than that. Ah, well." He stashed the areoblade in his own deerskin jacket. "Y'all best be running along to find me the next blade. It'll be at the Camquedest Library. Y'all have... twenty-five 'ours."

"O-okay," Will replied unsteadily. "But what 'bout warnin' the town—"

"Don't ya worry 'bout that now, kid, I'll take care of et." The smug grin that was still plastered on Robert's face didn't convince Will of that at all. "Say 'howdy' to all the folk o'er at the Smith farm if ya see them again, will ya?"

Will just opened and closed his mouth in shock as Robert turned away with a rough laugh and disappeared into the darkness of the cave. After a few minutes, he turned himself towards the exit and walked back out into the broken forest. He didn't even know why he was doing this aeroblade hunt at this point. Maybe he had just lost too much—his family, the resistance, Kimberly, and now Serena—to stop moving and risk letting all those memories and thoughts come rushing back. Or maybe he simply just didn't know who to trust anymore.

Will took a deep breath and immediately set out in the direction of the library on the far side of town.

* * *

"A hidden cave that may or may not exist, in the desert, somewhere outside town. Yep, I know exactly where we're headed!" Jason said sarcastically, shading his eyes from the blazing hot sun.

"It was all Cowboy Queue could give us," Natalie said defensively at his right. "And we'll just have to work with that."

"So...we gotta make lemonade out of rocks, got it," Jason commented bitterly.

"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be the positive one here!"

"Yah, sure, when there's something to be positive about!"

Natalie rolled her eyes and smiled.

Jason looked around at the dry desert land with its dust and occasional splotch of brown grass. It used to be acres upon acres of green farmland filled with the town's most important profit of crops. Yet even the endless rows of carrots, corn, cabbage, and potatoes failed them after droughts and plant diseases took away most of the lively green sprouts. Most farmers either moved into town in hopes of a way to make a new life for themselves or perished from the devastating plague that came soon after the crop failure. Whatever remained was left to the mercy of the forces of nature with no one to maintain the irrigation canals. Orchards became forests of dried, gnarled trees and fields of wheat began barren wastelands. There were rocky cliffs on either side, bordering what used to be the green valley of the city. Tumbleweed blew across the barren hills. Just seeing the silent, still knolls made Jason shiver. It really seemed like something wanted the whole town wiped off the face of the earth.

"Maybe we can start looking on this side," Natalie said, pointing to the cliffs on the right. "There could be a passageway of some sort hidden there."

Jason wiped the sweat off his forehead. "And shade of some sort, I hope."

They slowly made their way to the cliff, Jason stopping every once and a while to let Natalie catch up. She was walking slower and slower, obviously not used to the blaring heat. The fourth time she caught up to him, he gave her a concerned look.

"Y'all okay?" he asked. She was panting heavily like she could use a break.

"Yeah," she said in a way that wasn't convincing. "I'm just not very heat tolerate, if you know what I mean. I keep my shop ventilated."

"Ventilated?"

"It's a way of moving air around to keep the shop from getting stuffy. I have these ducts…you know what, I'll tell you some other time."

"Here." Jason took off his bag and dug out a canteen of water, handing it to her. She took it, giving him a grateful smile, and took a few sips from it.

While Natalie drank the rest, Jason scanned the cliff in front of them. Yes, it was rough looking and craggily enough, but he didn't see any possible crevice where a cave could be hidden. He knew it had to be very hard to find if it went unnoticed all these years, but it still seemed unlikely that one could be found in this abandoned cliff face.

Suddenly, spotting something in the horizon in the corner of his eye, he tore his attention away from the cliff face and towards the huge shadow moving in their direction. It was a wispy cloud-like shape, and it darkened the sky at an alarming rate.

Realizing what it was, he immediately threw his pack back on and turned to Natalie. "We have to go now! If we make it to the cliff we might have a chance!"

"Wha….what's going on?" Natalie asked worriedly, screwing the top back onto the canteen and standing up.

Jason pointed. "Dust storm."

Natalie's eyes widened in panic, and Jason quickly took her hand as they set off running towards the cliff.

* * *

Wind began to swirl around them, stirring up the dry sandy dirt and making it hard to see. Natalie began to cough from the dust and tried to cover her nose and mouth with her turquoise bandanna. The dust cut like billions of tiny shards of cut glass, and she could feel it slicing at her exposed neck and hands.

Jason continued to pull her forward, and Natalie hoped he knew where he was going. She certainly didn't, but it probably wouldn't help that she couldn't open her eyes more than halfway. She became annoyingly self-conscious of her hand in his and hoped her hand wasn't too sweaty _…You're thinking of this when your life is on the line?_ she thought. _Go kill yourself, Natalie!_

Turning her attention back to her feet, she continued to run over the dunes as fast as she could, trying her best not to stumble over the shifting sand. The wind began to pick up even more, and Natalie knew that if they didn't make it to the cliff soon, they wouldn't make it at all.

With an especially strong gust of wind, Natalie heard Jason give a muffled shout. She felt his hand slip out of her grasp. She gasped only to cough from the dust that filled her mouth. Her hand only found sand when she tried to reach for him. She tried to spot him in the speckled blurs of brown, squinting against the swirling dust.

"Jason?" she called out in a panicked voice. She couldn't see anything, and knew she wouldn't be able to hear anything over the howling wind. "JASON?!" she still shouted, louder this time. All she heard was the roar of the wind and she only saw the gray-brown of flying sand.

Natalie spun around, back again, back, and forward again. Her mind raced a mile a minute, trying to decide what to do. She knew she had two options: one, turn back to the direction of the cliff and seek safety, hoping Jason is already heading there or sheltered somewhere from the storm, or two: head back into the howling sands and search for him, risking being swept away in the storm herself. The first one was obviously the wise choice. She wasn't even sure if Jason was in trouble. He could already be at the cliff, wondering where _she_ went. But if he really was lost somewhere back in the dunes…

She took a deep breath, which proved to be extremely difficult with the dusty air. Natalie remembered that in one of his many instructive lectures that all eleven of the group normally fell asleep to, Cowboy Queue had told them that when it came down to instant decisions, they had to follow their gut, not their head. Gut it was then. And that meant she was about to do something _really_ stupid.

She turned back into the storm.

Natalie stumbled through the hills of barren dust-land, knowing the full brute of the storm was almost here. She tried calling out Jason's name, but soon had to stop when her mouth filled with dust. Coughing relentlessly, she was reduced to her handicapped eyesight and her shuffling feet.

"JASON!" she tried hoarsely shouting once more, desperation setting in. "Jason…?"

The wind picked up even more than Natalie thought possible, and she began to feel the sharp sand slicing her face, drawing blood. She could barely breathe; it felt like all the air was being carried away in the burning sand. Her ears were filling with the stuff, her mouth, her lungs….

 _This is it,_ she thought helplessly, barely able to keep walking. _I'm going to die out here in this storm because I didn't listen to my brain like I should've, like I always would have done. Jason's probably back at the cliff, safe as can be, thinking I'm a goner. So much for being heroic. I never seem to do-_

Her thoughts stopped abruptly when she tripped over something large in the sand. She fell over it, falling on her face with all the grace of a sack of potatoes. Natalie quickly shuffled into her feet, wavering unsteadily, disoriented. _Whaaa…_

Suddenly, the form on the ground moved slightly with a moan. Natalie immediately shook off the dizziness and dropped down next to the figure, trying to brush off the sand that built up on him. Her eyes widened. _Jason._

Taking him by the shoulders, she shook him awake. "Jason!" she rasped through the dust in her throat. "Jason, get up!"

Jason began to wake, and opened his eyes blurrily, just to close them again when sand blew into them. "Natalie…?"

"Yes, it's me. You have to get up and we need to run for it!" Natalie said quickly, desperately.

As if snapping out of a daze, Jason quickly shot up to his feet, just to stumble and almost fall back down before Natalie steadied him.

"My ankle…I must have twisted it," he said, biting his lip in a grimace.

"Come on, I'll help you," Natalie said, putting an arm around his waist, "but we need to get out of this storm before it's too late!"

Hoping that the darkness in the horizon was the rocky cliffs, Natalie set the pace, supporting Jason as best she could. He leaned heavily against her but seemed able to mostly hobble along on his own. They set off like this, stumbling against each other while slowly, _agonizingly_ making their way towards the hopeful cliff.

Natalie didn't know how long this lasted, but knew it felt like ages before she and Jason bumped into a craggily boulder. She glanced up as much as possible and saw the blurry outline of rock cliff before them.

Holding in a relieved breath, she carefully guided Jason behind a jutting rock enclosure in the cliff, and when they were finally out of reach of the flying brown shards, she dropped down, back against the wall, Jason dropping down beside her.

They just sat there for a while, breathing heavily and coughing up bucket loads of dust on the stone floor. Natalie pulled out their canteens, handing one to Jason, and they slurped them down, washing the sand out of their throats. Outside, the storm blared on, picking up to full strength. Natalie could hear the sand scraping against the stones, and let her head fall back against the rock wall.

After they'd finally caught their breath, Jason said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I can't believe we made it, y'all! That was awesome!"

Natalie felt her mouth twitch into a smile. "Of all the words I was thinking of to describe what just happened, 'awesome' wasn't one of them."

Jason laughed, and she soon joined in. Relieved, victorious laughter.

When it faded away, Jason took on a more serious tone. "You came back for me." He looked down at his hands. "And just as well saved my life." His cobalt blue eyes met hers. "All I can really say is _thank you_."

Natalie felt her face heat up, and she looked away. "If I didn't come across you, I probably would've gave up in that storm and suffocated right there. Seriously, don't thank me. We made it out alive together."

She looked back up, and saw Jason giving her a warm smile. She smiled back and felt him gently take her hand in his. He looked like he was about to say something else when a sharp grinding sound like bone against bone rang through the stone enclosure.

Natalie and Jason exchanged a look, and Natalie could tell they were thinking the same thing. She quickly got up, and Jason started to as well before she pushed him back down.

"Let me see what it is," she said before Jason could protest. "You have a bad ankle, remember? Stay here and rest it. I'll be fine by myself." She hastily grabbed two daggers, hiding one in each boot, and took hold of a short katana. Natalie hoped she looked more confident than she felt.

Jason didn't look happy about this, but forced a nod, arms crossed. "Sure thing, _mom._ "

Natalie rolled her eyes, then gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Honestly, it's not that far away, and I'll be careful. I'm not _helpless_." She turned away towards the direction of the sound, but not before she caught a glimpse of Jason's reddening face, plastered with a goofy grin.

 _Boys_ , she thought, exasperated but pleased at her own improvised swagger, as she walked away down the cavern.

She soon turned a sharp corner and found herself in a circular cave with a small hole in the ceiling, revealing a small beam of light that broke through the swirling sands. Looking around, Natalie couldn't see where the noise could've possibly came from; it was walled on all sides and there was nothing suspicious to be seen.

But then the sound abruptly resonated again, loud, as if it really was from something in this round cave. Or something _right behind it_.

Natalie dived behind a nearby boulder and peeked around it at the back of the cave, where a crack was slowly forming. _That wasn't there before, right…?_

Then she watched in amazement as the crack slowly widened, beginning to spill green light throughout the cave. And then it widened completely, revealing a hidden doorway in the stone. And in the doorway stood three floating esprits and two bloodthirsty zarthlus.

Natalie felt her pulse quicken with fear and excitement. They had found the enemies hideout! But the bad news: _they were camped out right on their doorstep_.

"Gauldon not going out in sandstorm!" she heard one of the zarthlus object in a rough voice.

"Masssster'sss orderssss," the other one hissed. "Ssssandssstormsss can't effect usss, ssso why ssso jumpy, Gauldon? Sssscared of a little dusssst?"

"Gauldon think Spider being forgetful!" Gauldon retorted. "Hard to see in dusty storms! Easy lost!"

"Only idotssss like you can get lossst ssso near the town!" Spider shot back.

They began to carry on like this, arguing and insulting each other. Natalie blinked. If the zarthlus weren't so utterly terrifying, she'd probably burst out laughing right now.

Then the esprits flew between the two arguing zarthlus, as if trying to say: "Just shut up already!"

Spider gave Gauldon one last hiss, while Gauldon gave him a withering look.

"Let'sss jusssst get on with the misssssion already," Spider said, and Gauldon gave a stiff nod of agreement.

Natalie held her breath as they walked/floated by, but if they noticed anything unusual, they didn't show it. After they passed by, she slowly made her way back to Jason, hoping he had the sense to stay hidden while the ghouls passed.

To her immediate relief, she came back to still find him against the cave wall, if not looking a little shaken.

"Y'all could've warned me that some evil ghosts things would be passin' this way," he said, exasperated, when he saw her come back.

Natalie smiled. "But you do know what that means, right?"

Jason sighed. "Let me guess: we stumbl'd into those devils' lair?"

"You guessed right."

* * *

 **So…I may or may not have stolen that cave entrance idea from Lord of the Rings. May or may not. XD Anyways, I hope y'all have a swag week! Till whenever next time is!**


	18. Tactic of Textbooks

Chapter 18: Tactic of Textbooks

 **For the first time, I don't know what to type for the opening author's note! Uh…uh…uh…it's summer? It's hot? The Wifi hates me? I don't know. Just, it's another delayed chapter! We'll just get into it! :'D**

* * *

Blinking blearily, Kai slowly woke up to hear the dramatic rambles of Sensei Wu as he continued on and on with must've been the same western story. _Wait a second,_ Kai thought in a daze, _that's not what I heard last!_ He sat up and scooted to the edge of the sofa to confirm if he'd fallen asleep. He ended up kicking over a house plant and spilling dirt all over his shoes and the floor.

Sensei Wu stopped talking and all eyes turned to Kai.

"Wha'd I miss, y'all?" he asked. "And who the heck put this here plant in front of meh? These shoes be new, y'all!"

Ivy started laughing while Zane started explaining in extreme detail everything that Kai had missed.

"... Lawrence had then stated-" Zane was cut off by Sensei Wu.

"I believe we can just summarize it seeing that Kai here is still confused."

The white ninja nodded thoughtfully, and Sensei continued by asking, "Does anyone want to summarize it?"

"Um, I already worked this whole story thing into my schedule. We don't have TIME for summarizing! I'd have to readjust everything!" Tia complained.

"Well, I sense it would help Kai be forty-nine point six three five two percent less confused," Zane said.

"Okay! Fine! I'll do it!" Tia said with much exasperation. "So, Taxes Dude and School Gal got in trouble with Mayor Spoiled and he grounded them, then Sheriff Boredom had some weird pointless dream, then Resistance Kid left Other Resistance Kid for the Weapon thingy, then, Tessa, the only character with sense, went to the bandit camp and found the evil peeps turning the bandits into more evil peeps, then Crazy Farmer was kidnapped by the witchy gal that was in charge of the evil peeps and Sheriff Boredom was there too for some reason, then Smart Chap met people that lived in cardboard boxes, then Garbage finds out what happened at the bandit camp. And Q dude splits the remaining peeps into three groups to find the lost ones. Then Taxes Dude bumps into Soul Dude while grounded and fights him, then Sheriff Boredom's sis and Steph find a hidden door, then Smart Chap and Camelot stalkerishly go to Mayor Spoiled's house. Then Resistance Kid is given his next mission impossible from Bandit Leader, then Sensei just finished the part where Garbage and Nat Chic went through some sandstorm and found themselves in the cave with the evil peeps."

"O-okay, y'all..." Kai said, obviously not following but not wanting to say so.

"Now that that is done, I will continue." Sensei sipped some tea and continued his tale.

* * *

There it was again! That loud thud next door and muffled, angry conversation.

Clara pressed her ear against the wall, trying to make out what was being said. Lawrence's room was right next door to hers, and it sounded like some kind of brawl was going on in there. If he was in trouble…

She turned towards her door and yanked on the doorknob once more, but it was still hopelessly locked. All the doors in the mansion were also made of thick, solid maple wood, so there was no way she'd be able to break it down.

"Lawrence!" she yelled, turning back to the wall on her left and banging a fist against the tall wainscoting. "What's going on in there?"

The only response was what sounded like a vase breaking.

Clara looked around her room frantically, hoping for something she can use to escape. She glanced over her bed with its satin covers and lacy canopy, the carefully crafted desk still holding old papers for grading, and a tall bookshelf overflowing with numerous school textbooks. Her eyes landed on an expensive-looking mahogany candle stand.

"Well, it's worth a try," she said, letting out a small grunt as she hefted the tall candle stand in both hands. She aimed at the brass doorknob, took a deep breath, and swung.

Just when the candle stand was about to hit the knob, a sound behind her made Clara freeze in place. She slowly turned towards the window behind her and let out a shriek, dropping the candle stand with a _clinky-crash_.

Cam, the crazy dark-haired resistance leader, was outside tapping on the window's glass, looking impatient and slightly bored. When he saw he had her attention, he pointed to the window latch, motioning for her to open it.

Clara blinked, still a bit in shock. What in the world was he doing here? Outside her four-story high window? They may both be in that Wild Roundup group, but he still was the one who kidnapped her that one time. Should she even trust him?

Just then, someone else climbed up next to Cam, trying to see what was causing the wait. Seeing John, Clara breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she could trust him, at least.

She rushed over to the window and tried the latch, hoping something changed from the last time she messed with it. But just like before, it was stuck shut, that eerie green light coming from it like a hazy cloud. She held in a curse before it slipped out, realizing that all that time spent around rebels and thieves was not having a good influence on her language.

Looking at Cam, she gave a shrug, pointing at the spellbound window latch.

He didn't restrain from cursing and climbed down a few inches to debate with John on plan B. Clara faintly heard Cam say: "…throw rocks at the window…" with John replying: "…not a logical course of action."

Turning away from the window, Clara looked at the abandoned candle stand lying in front of the door. A crazy idea that she felt like she should've considered earlier popped in her head, and she rushed over to pick up the heavy stand once more. Struggling with the weight, she turned it towards the window, and began swinging it back and forth, gaining momentum.

"Look out!" she shouted. Cam and John looked up in surprise then quickly covered their heads with their free arm. Clara charged at the window with a yell, and with a loud shatter, the candle stand broke through the glass and shattered the window.

Wasting no time, she threw the candle stand aside and leaned out the broken window. "Are you two alright?" she asked sheepishly. Having spent five years in a school training to be a proper lady, Clara knew that breaking windows and yelling like a maniac was not in the list of lady etiquette. But then again, proper ladies didn't join secret groups fighting against evil spirits either.

Dabbing at a small cut on his forearm, Cam rolled his eyes and said, "Still in one piece. But y'all coulda gave us a better warnin' there."

Blushing slightly with embarrassment, Clara said, "Uh, sorry about that." Quickly regaining her composure, she asked, "What in the world are you doing here?"

As Cam and John began to climb the rest of the way up the trellis, John briefly explained, "Cowboy Queue sent us in groups of two to find the missing members of the Wild Roundup, and Cam and I were assigned to help you and Lawrence escape."

"Wait, there are others mis-" Clara stopped abruptly, hearing footsteps and hissing drawing close to her bedroom door. "You need to hurry!" She said in a rush. "I can hear the guards coming already to investigate the noise."

Then conveniently on cue, Clara heard the click of her door being unlocked behind her. She whirled around to see it burst open. Two zarthlus and an esprit stood, or floated, in her doorway, looking anything but pleased. Well, she couldn't really tell with the esprit, but it's livid green color certainly didn't say "happy".

One zarthlu brought out what looked like a blowpipe and loaded it with a dart. "What'ssss going on here?" she hissed angrily. "Trying to esssscape?"

Clara fumbled for an answer, but a voice beside her spoke first.

"Trying to break in, more like it."

Cam, the one who had spoken, and John stood on either side of her, blacksteel katanas at the ready.

The zarthlu let out a screech of rage, and all three spirits charged at them in a fury. Clara felt John press a blacksteel dagger into her hand before turning to take on one of the furious zarthlus. Cam charged the other zarthlu, their katanas clashing against each other loudly. Which left Clara with the esprit.

She really never saw an esprit's fighting style but knew from many hours of staring out her bedroom window at the patrolling green floaties that they could briefly take control of your body if they passed through you and could easily take control of nearby objects. (As seen when an esprit charged at one of her father's snickering officials and made him do a body-flop onto the ground, proceeding to aim rocks at him till a zarthlu calmed it down. At least she had something interesting to watch during this imprisonment.) She ducked as a textbook went flying towards her head, a green glow encasing it. Glancing up at the esprit, she saw it float closer towards her, textbooks flying off the shelves and gathering next to the esprit like a papery army.

Clara blew a loose curl out of her face. "I never thought my textbooks would be attacking me," she murmured, frustrated.

She turned and ran in a zig-zag as one by one textbooks were thrown at her, missing by mere inches and smacking against the wall. She flipped over her desk and ducked behind it as the last few books slammed against it with deadly force. She looked down at the dagger in her hand, black metal blade glinting in the faint daylight. She knew she'd have to finish that esprit off before it could throw something more fatal at her or the others. But still, she never killed anything before in her life…..even evil ghost beings.

She gasped in surprise as the table she was crouched behind began to glow and floated upwards, exposing her completely. The esprit slowly glided up to her, screws from the other furniture floating close behind. Waiting till it was a little closer, Clara rolled out from under the floating desk and stabbed her knife towards the esprit. She closed her eyes as she felt the dagger plunge into something cold and soft, and opened them again in time to see the esprit vaporize into thin air in front of her. The floating screws tumbled back down to the ground, and Clara stared at them while she sat there, breathing hard.

"Clara, look out!"

She turned in surprise to see one of the zarthlu's darts hurling towards her. She sat on the floor, frozen. There was no way she could dodge that in time.

Suddenly, Cam jumped in front of her, wincing in pain as the dart hit his shoulder. He pulled it out just as fast and ran towards the zarthlu, blade swinging. The zarthlu raised his own sword, but then froze, and fell over. Behind the fallen zarthlu stood John, katana outstretched.

"I totally had that taken care of y'all!" Cam argued, lowering his own katana.

"My calculations estimated that it would've taken a much shorter time for me to finish the zarthlu off while it was distracted, saving valuable time in the process," John replied.

Cam just rolled his eyes.

Clara shakily got up, clutching the dagger. "Where's the other zarthlu?" she asked warily, looking around her destroyed bedroom. She couldn't help but feel a bit sad that her room, which had been perfectly tidy ten minutes ago, was now in ruins with her bedding shredded, desk in pieces, furniture disassembled, books teared, and window shattered.

"I already took care of it, y'all," Cam said, pointing to the still form in the corner of the room.

John blinked slowly, wondering whether to bring up the fact that Cam only parried with it while he finished this one off from behind also, but decided it wasn't worth it.

"Now let's go find the brat and get out of 'ere," Cam said, pointing to the doorway with his katana. The gesture made him wince, and he rubbed his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Clara said worriedly, taking a step toward him. She didn't know what was in those darts, but she was sure it wasn't something good.

"I'm fine, y'all, it just stings a little. Nothin' to worry about."

Something in Cam's face told Clara that he was bluffing, but before she could say anything, Cam ran out the doorway, impatiently gesturing for them to follow. John followed, and Clara quickly grabbed her wool shawl from her deeply scratched wardrobe, clasped it on, and raced after them, hoping with all her might that they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

 **A bit shorter, but hopefully y'all enjoyed! Till next time, have a splendid week! Well, with my procrastination it'll be more than a week, but hey, it's traditional to say that by now. :'D Later, fam!**


End file.
